A Soul's Salvation
by Lady Kogawolf
Summary: Guidance comes from the last place Sakura expected, and now, she must walk a new path with surprising results.
1. Stranger in the night

A/N: This is my newest fic. I am including Naruto in my list of loved animes. I hope that you guys enjoy it. By the way, I am also the author named Kogasangel on other sites, just so that no one will yell at me and accuse me of bad things.

* * *

Sakura swayed on her feet and silently cursed that last drink. As she made her way to the old training fields, she bitterly thought about everything in her life that had gone wrong.

Sasuke decided that it was time to begin reviving his clan, and decided on Ino to help him. Never mind that it had been she, Haruno Sakura, who had stood by him and waited patiently for him to glance her way. They announced their wedding date and were currently celebrating with half the village at the local ninja hangout.

Naruto no longer spoke to her, at least unless he had to. It seemed as though all the years of her hitting him and belittling him finally paid off, because now, he no longer bothered her. In fact, after the last incident of her slapping him around, he informed her that he no longer wanted to be around her, and so, began to hang around Hinata.

Hyuuga Hinata had grown beautifully. She was everything that Sakura was not. Patient, sometimes to a fault, kind, gentle, and loving. She was also the head of her clan, and finally gained the respect of her father, though it took her challenging him and defeating him to do so. She had many admirers and seemed so content in the knowledge that she was accepted and had people devoted to her.

Unlike her.

No, her quick temper and freakish strength made her a very dangerous opponent. Kakashi once told her that if she were not careful, she would alienate herself from other people and would be alone. After all, he was an expert in the field.

But, she didn't listen, and now, she stood in the middle of the training fields. Alone.

She didn't know what prompted her to walk to the place where fallen ninja were laid to rest. Perhaps it was because Kakashi always seemed to find peace there. True, the life of a ninja was a short one, but those who died in the heat of battle were regarded as heros.

Slumping down against one of the tombstones, she noticed how quiet the place was and how even the night-time animals seemed to respect the dead by keeping their silence. Looking down at the bottle in her hand, she glared at it and pouted when she realized that it only had a few more drinks in it.

As she felt the warmth of the booze come over her, her eyes fluttered, but then snapped open when a soft voice said, "I don't think that you'll be needing anymore of this tonight."

"Go 'way. I'm thinkin'." Sakura slurred, her eyes trying to focus on the figure before her. When the voice laughed, she huffed.

The voice, which belonged to a male, drew closer and a warm hand encircled her arm. "Come on, let's get you home and you can do your thinking there." He said, his voice kind.

Sakura allowed herself to be lifted and muttered an apology when she stumbled into the man, and allowed him to lead her from the field. Soon, they were at the door of her apartment, and he waited patiently for her to open the door, but when she had trouble finding the keyhole with her key, his cool hand came out and gently took the key from her. He unlocked the door and opened it, and waited for her to stumble in ahead of him.

When she went to turn on the light, he grasped her hand and softly said, "Let's not do that. I'd rather talk to you in the dark, if you don't mind."

"Whatever floats your boat, I guess." Sakura said, but then yanked her head up, swayed a bit, then said, "I hope you're not here to get lucky. I'm not that kind of girl."

It was clear to both of them that her mind was clearing from the alcohol and he smiled. "No, I am not here to get lucky. I just want to talk." He replied, and walked over to sit down on the couch.

When she sat down in the armchair that sat across from him, he calmly asked, "Do you ever wonder what will be put on your tombstone when you die?"

Sakura expected many questions, mostly about why she had been drunk and sitting next to someone's grave, but that question had not crossed her mind.

"Ewww, what in the hell kind of question is that?" She snapped, her green eyes flashing.

The man's head turned to look out of the sliding glass door that separated them from her balcony. "I always wondered what they would say about me. Would they say that I was a good person, that I mattered to someone." He said, his tone even. "I would want to know that someone cared enough about me to put something nice about me, so others would know what kind of person I was."

Sakura felt the beginnings of a massive headache coming on and she reached up to rub her temples. When she lifted her eyes, she noticed that he had turned his head back to her, and noticed that she could only make out the right side of his face.

But, what got her to consider his words was the intense way his eye was focused on her. His face held none of the contempt that others had started to show her, nor did it hold the indifference that Sasuke and Kakashi had when they looked at her.

Knowing that he was waiting for an answer, she looked down and thought for a few moments. Finally, she softly replied, "I guess they would say that I was a bitch. A hateful, jealous, ignorant bitch."

"Why would they say that?" He asked. "You seem like a perfectly normal girl, but a little misguided. I'm guessing that you didn't have much of a role-model as you were growing up."

Feeling the tears form in her eyes, Sakura realized that this man had hit the nail on the head. To be honest, she really didn't know how to act with other people. Her mother and father, both ninjas, died when she had started to train with Kakashi, and he wasn't much of a role-model either.

Tsunade-sensei was quite the gambler and drinker, and had introduced her to a whole new world of mixed drinks.

"No, I suppose I didn't." She returned. "Why do you care?"

The right side of the man's face crinkled up in a grin and for a moment, Sakura had the stray thought that he was handsome.

"Because, I don't want to see you fade away." He said, leaning forward to take her hands in his. "I knew someone once, someone who set his sights on another, who had eyes for someone else, and he did everything in his power to get her to notice him, but it took him dying and going away for her to see just how important he was to her. I don't want you to fade away and not realize just how important you are."

Hot tears fell down Sakura's cheeks as his words echoed in her ears and she pulled her hands away from his to cover her face. How did he know that sometimes at night, she prayed to just disappear? How could he know how much she hurt when she saw that other people had turned from her?

He watched her as she cried, knowing that sometimes, tears do a lot more for a soul that anything else. Pulling her down into his arms, he let her cry, and held her as she sobbed. He didn't offer her half-hearted promises that everything would be okay. He didn't offer to make things better for her. Instead, he did something better by just letting her be weak.

* * *

The minutes turned into hours, and found the two people sitting on the couch, side by side. Words were not needed, and it was his silent companionship that she found peace in.

However, he broke the silence when he said, "Uchiha Sasuke was not for you."

Lifting her eyebrow, she asked, "And, you know this how?"

Chuckling, he replied, "Sasuke would have gone after a woman whose family's name held some importance within the village. Your friend, Ino, is the perfect way for him to continue the line that his family had started. But, don't be fooled into thinking that they are happy. I'm sure that behind closed doors, they are anything but."

Sakura's mouth dropped open. She hadn't seen it from that point of view. Of course, Sasuke would need an alliance with another distinguished family, and it was because of the rivalry between him and Hyuuga Neji that prevented him from approaching Hinata. Ino was simply his fall-back, and everyone must know it, including Ino.

The man's face turned towards her and he softly said, "And, your friendship with Naruto has suffered, mostly because you don't know how to deal with uncomfortable situations, other than with violence. However, I think that your feelings towards Naruto have changed, and you simply didn't know how to deal with those, either. And because of it, you have pushed him away from you. People can only take rejection for so long. Then, they give up. I'm guessing that years of you hitting him has made him think that you are not interested in anything but a professional relationship."

Sakura bit her lip and turned her head so that he couldn't see the red blush that crossed her face. Again, he hit her right where she lived and she didn't have anything to say to it.

"You're right." She whispered. "You're right, but too late to be of any help. I chased him away, along with everyone else in my pursuit of Sasuke, and now, I'm not wanted."

"You're wanted," He replied, his tone fond. "You are wanted, and just need to lighten up. Sakura, there are worse things in this world than being gentle and accepting kindness."

"Oh, like what?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Forgotten." He replied, his tone sad. "You could be one of the forgotten. Ninjas who disappear and who fall without anyone remembering them."

Ashamed at her earlier snipe, she took in a deep breath, and softly said, "I-I guess that's true."

As night began to turn to dawn, the man stood up and grinned down at her, the left side of his face still covered by shadows and took his hand when he offered it to her.

"Well, I walked you home, so now it is your turn." He cheerfully said. Leading her to the door, he opened it and waited patiently for her to lock it behind her.

Soon, they were walking a familiar path and Sakura realized that they were walking to the set of graves that Kakashi came to visit everyday.

Looking up at him curiously, she noticed that his eye had moved down to her face and he softly said, "In life, we all make mistakes that we must pay the price for. Pride, Sakura, is the worst price we pay. When pride gets in the way of the words we should say, we end up losing more than just our pride, we lose our hope and dreams. Don't let my mistakes with Rin repeat with you and rob you of a life you can have with someone who can enrich your life and bring you years of happiness."

Sakura's brow wrinkled and she remembered hearing the name, Rin, before. When she looked down at her hand, she found it empty and looked up to find the man leaning against one of the tombstones. A kind smile formed on his lips and he quietly asked, "Would you do me a favor?"

When she nodded, he said, "Tell Kakashi that every day when he comes here, we hear him and his apologies. We know how he feels and miss him just as much. Tell him, he wasn't to blame and that we are safe and happy."

Sakura stared at the man, and then slowly said, "I don't understand. Why don't you tell him?"

"Because, I was given the chance to come back for one night, to help him through something, but you needed me more than he did." He explained. "Your pain cried out to me, as did your loneliness, and I couldn't walk away from you."

"Come back? What are you talking about?" Sakura cried, tears of confusion running swiftly down her face.

The man glanced up at the sky, and noticed that the sky held a pretty blush to it. Turning back to Sakura, he smiled and said, "I would really like to know what happens with you. If you don't mind, come back to visit me. I won't be able to answer you, but know that I will hear you."

"Visit you? I don't even know who you are." Sakura nearly shouted, her body shaking with anger and her confusion growing more and more.

The shadows around the man's face began to disappear, and where his left eye should have been was a black hole, where an eye used to be. He lifted his hand in a wave and softly said, "My name, Haruno Sakura, is Uchiha Obito."

As the sun's rays began to spread across the ground, Obito's smiling face, along with his body, faded and his words echoed in her ears as a parting goodbye.

"It's not your time to fade. Live for yourself...and for us."


	2. When Heaven Cries

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews guys. To start, yes Obito is dead. Think Touched by an angel. I loved that show when it was on. Anyways, This is a Nar/Sak fic, so no, there will not be any Nar/Hin. You'll understand more as the story goes along. I promise. Please keep on reviewing. It makes inner Kogasangel/Lady kogawolf happy.

* * *

Sakura awoke with a start and groaned. Her head hurt and she briefly decided that she would never touch another drop of booze again. 

However, when she opened her eyes and looked around, she saw that she was back in her apartment, and in her bed. The entire night must have been a dream. Of course, Uchiha Obito didn't return from the grave. Geez, she must have really tied one on to dream something that weird up.

Glancing down at her, she noticed that she was wearing the clothes she went out in and grimaced at how wrinkled they were. Well, she would just have to do laundry and iron them.

But, when she yanked back the covers, her eyes widened and she saw that she was still wearing her shoes, and they were covered in dirt. Blinking rapidly, her throat constricted as she glanced over at her bedroom door and then slowly back down at her feet.

Making her way from the bedroom, Sakura moved quietly, and peered around the corner to see if anyone was there, waiting on her. When she saw that the room was empty, she shook her head and moved over to the couch, but froze when she looked at the table that sat in front of her couch.

There were two glasses there. One of them was empty, and the other was full. The full glass had been the one she had obtained for Obito when they were sitting together after she had cried...at least in her dream. But, if the glasses were here, did that mean that last night wasn't a dream?

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck were now standing at full attention as Obito's words began to echo in her mind. Sliding down to the floor, Sakura held her head in her hands and rocked back and forth, thinking.

But, as she sat there, she could see a lot of truth in his words. She did have a lot of pride, too much, if she were to be honest, and at times, she used violence as a way for her to deal with what she perceived as blows to her pride, but in the process, she managed to hurt others' prides.

Especially Naruto's. He had such a hard life, and when he turned his eyes to her, she responded by belittling him and hitting him, sometimes knocking him unconscious, and at the time, she gloried in it. Perhaps it was her way of showing Sasuke that she could be his equal. But, in truth, all she showed was that she had turned into a huge bitch with an attitude, and the one person who accepted her the way that she was, she humiliated.

She didn't deserve the kind of loyalty that Naruto freely gave. But, she was going to do her damnedest to try and show him that he had hers.

* * *

The room was packed, and loud voices could be heard as older and younger ninjas joined for the meeting that the Hokage called. It was a rare thing, so it must be very important.

As she walked into the room and quietly took a seat by the window, she noted that Naruto and Kiba were laughing loudly at some joke, while Hinata smiled softly at them. Sasuke and Ino were close by, sitting together, and not speaking. From what she could see, Obito's prediction seemed true.

She saw Kakashi leaning against one of the walls, and was reading his infamous Icha Icha Paradise book, while ignoring Gai, who was wailing that he was setting a horrible example.

Other ninja that she recognized were there, and had joined their former teams, but Sakura was the only one who wasn't near her former teammates.

Instead, she turned her eyes to the window, and gazed out, her face in a thoughtful expression. Since getting up off of her floor, pouring out all of the booze in her apartment, and cleaning herself up, she felt better than she had in a long time.

Maybe it was because someone actually cared about her to step in and stop her insane behavior. It's amazing what the compassion of a stranger can do to change one's outlook on life. Now she understood that she had wasted a large part of her youth by chasing after a dream that was not going to come true.

It was time to let some dreams fade.

She noticed that she had an excellent view of the ninja memorials, and smiled softly. Obito would never know that just by talking to her, he had saved not only her life, but also her soul.

Hinata glanced over and saw Sakura gazing out of the window. She pitied the young woman, but noticed that there was a slight change in Sakura's demeanor. The young woman seemed calmer, and at peace. Her shoulders were not tight with stress, nor did she appear to be anxious.

Turning her pale eyes towards Naruto, she felt a pang in her heart. Once he told her that he could not give her the love that she wanted from him, due to his love for Sakura, she turned her affections to Kiba, and found that they were a perfect match. Though they were opposites, they fit together well, and fell in love.

But, try as he might, Naruto refused to listen to anything anyone had to say about Sakura. He had told them that she had hit him for the last time and he wasn't going to be her punching bag any longer. She didn't tell him that she would catch him from time to time looking longingly over at the young woman, nor would she tell him that he seemed lost without her. The two would simply have to figure this out for themselves and that is why she made it clear to everyone around them that they were not to interfere.

However, that didn't stop people from talking about Sakura. They said that she was too violent, and was always trying to prove that she could handle her own, but in the end, she was simply a bossy, nosy, whiny, bitch who needed to be put in her place.

It was sad, really. She knew how loving Sakura could be, but years of trying to pull her own weight with team seven really did a number on her, and the fact that Kakashi paid more attention to the males of the team had been a huge blow to her ego, and probably still hurt.

But, Hinata's concentration was broken when Tsunade stepped into the room and called for attention.

"This is going to seem like a pretty boring request, but because it is with a village that we are trying to gain an alliance with, it warrants special attention." She said, her eyes roaming over the room, and coming to a stop on her apprentice. Frowning slightly, mostly because the younger woman seemed to be in a daze, she pulled her eyes away and said, "I need a volunteer to escort an elderly man back to the village. To be honest, it is just an escort mission and will only require one ninja and because of that, it doesn't pay very much. Is there anyone who would be willing to do it?"

For several moments, no one spoke. Tsunade sighed and knew that she would probably have to decide on someone, but then a chair scraped on the floor and she turned her eyes to look at Sakura, who was still gazing out of the window.

"I'll do it." Sakura said, her tone soft. As she turned her green eyes to look at her sensei, she noticed the woman's relieved smile and nod.

"Thank you, Sakura. The client wishes to leave today, so you are excused and will meet him by the front gate in an hour. Are there any questions?" Tsunade asked, a smile upon her pretty face.

Turning, Sakura began to walk towards the door and over her shoulder she said, "No."

Closing the door softly behind her, Sakura walked into the streets of Konaha and headed straight for her apartment. She needed to change if she were going to be walking through the woods.

Once she was in her trademark red dress, Sakura turned to her mirror and stopped. Staring back at her was someone she didn't really like. Someone who put on a pretense of superiority. Snarling at her reflection, she ripped the offending material off of her body and stormed into her closet and began to dig around in the back.

Finally, she found her mother's old clothing and found a pair of black pants and tight black shirt. Slipping those on, she was shocked to find that she was now her mother's old size and that the clothing fit perfectly.

Glancing at the clock, she quickly put on her sandals and braided her hair. Walking out of her bedroom, Sakura noticed her father's sword hanging on her wall...forgotten. Just like her parents.

In her zeal to greatness, Sakura forgot the two people who loved her just as unconditionally as Naruto did. Neither one of them ever left her behind, or forgot about her, even if she was being a brat.

Grabbing the sword, she tested it in her hands and allowed the memory of her father explaining to her how to hold it to surface. He had been such a good swordsman. He had also been a good dad, too.

Strapping it to her side, she turned and grabbed her pouch of kunai and strapped them to her thigh before picking up a dagger and its holder that belonged to her mother and strapped that around her waist and underneath her shirt.

Now, she was ready to go and meet the client. Now, she was ready to meet her future.

* * *

Once the meeting was over, a large group of ninja moved over to sit in the shade besides Ino's flower shop. Their conversation varied, and stopped when the image of Sakura came into view.

To say she looked different was an understatement. This Sakura didn't have on that silly dress that she normally wore, and actually looked the part of a ninja. Kakashi's eye narrowed as he followed his former student, and fell to the sword that rested at her hip.

"That was her father's." He murmured, his eyes following the silent young woman until she disappeared from sight.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow and asked, "What was?" Not that he cared, of course, but the sight of Sakura had shocked him. He didn't know she even knew what the color black looked like.

Kakashi stood to his full height, and replied, "The sword she carried belonged to her father. He was probably one of the best swordsmen of this village. But, I don't know why she has chosen to carry it now."

Naruto didn't say a word. Instead, his handsome face twisted into a scowl and he turned away. Hinata smiled and said, "I think she looks wonderful. It's a nice change."

Kiba quickly changed the subject and loudly volunteered to buy everyone lunch. Soon, the large crowd was on their way, but a certain blonde young man was tagging behind, his scowl gone, and a saddened frown marring his features.

Despite everything, he hoped Sakura's mission went well.

* * *

Easy mission, her ass. It had not been half a day, and they had been attacked at least three times. Finally, the old man sheepishly explained that he had lied to Tsunade about who he really was in order to see just how committed she was to joining forces with his village, and quickly promised Sakura that he would pay her and the village a handsome price.

Now, as the pair tiredly made their way into his village, the hidden village of the valley, he was quickly surrounded by his people and she had been offered a room in his home. Smiling kindly at him, mostly because he reminded her of her own grandfather, she accepted and had rested fully.

His wife, a loud, large woman, made her sit down and fed her a breakfast large enough to make Naruto sick. Thankfully, her stomach kept everything down, but she felt as if she wobbled when she walked.

When she stepped out into the bright sunlight, she saw that the village elder was speaking with two men, and turned her way when she began walking towards them. The elder took in a deep breath and softly said, "We need your help."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sakura noticed that the two men behind the elder were frantic looking and she sighed. Yep, this mission had gone from easy to a pain in her ass.

"Ok, let me hear it." She said, and waited. Finally, the elder said, "Some of the local noble families have noticed that their children have not returned. We have looked for them, but we can't find them. We thought that since you are a ninja, well, perhaps you would help us."

Sakura bit her lip, and wanted so badly to say no. But, Obito's memory came to her mind, and she realized, he didn't have to waste his precious time helping her, yet he did, and didn't ask anything other than to give Kakashi a message in return.

Maybe this could be her way of showing him that she understood his words by paying his kindness forward. Maybe fate had decided that it was time to save her soul from damnation and put her on the track of salvation. All she needed to do was take that first step.

"Where did you last see them?" She asked, her face set in determination. Soon, she was given enough information to go on, and was about to leave when the elder stopped her.

"Ninja, we cannot pay you anything more than what I offered you yesterday on the road here. But, I could have my wife cook you a meal that you wouldn't soon forget." He offered.

Inner Sakura groaned and whined, "But, she already did and I think I'm gonna be sick."

Sakura smiled and looked to the sky. "Elder, you contracted with Leaf for a certain amount. I will only take the amount contracted for. Think of this as a show of good faith from Leaf." She said.

The three men were stunned and watched as she walked towards the area where the children were last seen. When she was out of earshot, the elder turned to stare at his companions and softly said, "Gentlemen, I believe that we have found ourselves a ninja we can honestly trust."

* * *

It didn't take long for Sakura to catch up to the children, who had wandered so far into the woods that they ended up losing their way. She brought them back to the village and, to her great displeasure, was once again, treated to a meal prepared by the elder's wife.

After collecting the amount due her village, Sakura smiled at the villagers who had come out of their homes and jobs to see her off. It seemed that she now had her very own fan club of little girls who were telling their parents that they were going to be ninjas, just like her.

Once she was gone, the elder called for a messenger and quickly wrote a message to the Hokage of Konaha. Never before had he encountered a ninja who was compassionate and honest. And, he wanted the Hokage to know that the only ninja his village would accept would be Sakura.

It took her nearly two and a half days to return to Konaha. Mostly due to the fact that she had taken her time and did a lot of thinking, but when she finally emerged from the woods, she found herself on the training fields, staring at Naruto's back.

Sensing her, he quickly turned and narrowed his eyes. He watched as she slowly began to walk towards him and then stop a few feet away from where he stood.

The silence between them grew, but then he gruffly said, "I see your mission went well."

Nodding, Sakura replied, "Yes, it did. I enjoyed it."

"Except for that blasted woman's cooking. She was trying to kill us with all that food, I tell you. I don't think that we'll be eating for another week." Inner Sakura grumbled, but then pouted and crossed her arms when she noticed that she was being ignored.

Naruto gave a sharp nod, and bent down to collect his shirt. He had been training, trying to do everything he could to stop thinking about Sakura and if she were alright. Now, here she was, and though a part of him was happy to see her, his mind was still angry.

As he turned to leave, he stopped when he heard Sakura softly say, "I'm sorry, Naruto. For everything."

Turning on his heel to face her, his blue eyes widened and he asked, "What was that?"

Taking in a deep breath, she was about to repeat herself, but he stopped her when he snapped, "You're sorry? For what, Sakura? For hitting me? Humiliating me? For stomping me into the ground just so you could look good for Sasuke? Is that what you are sorry for, or are you sorry because everyone in this village sees you for what you are? A selfish brat, who throws temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants."

Inner Sakura was already shaking her fist at him, but Sakura quietly replied, "Yes."

Naruto laughed, but it was not the kind of laugh that was friendly. This laugh was harsh and filled with anger.

"I suppose you are expecting me to jump up and down and follow you all over the place, just like I did when we were kids. Well, let me tell you, I meant it when I said that I don't want anything to do with you. Nothing you could say to me would ever make me change my mind. Now that Sasuke is with Ino, you figure that you can latch onto me, and sweetheart, I am not falling for it. I might be a fool in some things, but for you, never again." He hissed, his face coming mere inches from hers.

For once, Inner Sakura was silent. What could she say? Taking a deep breath, Sakura nodded. "I understand. I won't cross your path anymore, and won't bother you. I just wanted you to know that I regret my actions towards you and there is nothing more that I can say." She quietly replied.

Turning away from the young man, she held her head up high as she walked off of the training field and towards the Hokage's office. She needed to report in and then, when she was alone in her apartment, then she could cry.

Naruto watched her go, and when she was gone, he angrily punched a tree that was unlucky enough to be near him. Slumping down to the ground, he mentally cursed himself for melting to her words, and then attacking her with his. A large part of him felt that she deserved it, but his heart cried in agony.

* * *

Tsunade beamed at her, and came around her desk to embrace her.

"I want you to know that because of your good will, we are now allies of valley and they have requested that you be the only ninja they deal with. Sakura, you are going to be the ambassador for Konaha." She cried, and then smirked, "And, the elder sent the money that you refused. You really impressed those people and when valley talks about certain things, like which village is the best to go to if a ninja is needed, they are going to think of you, my dear. What you have done for Konaha is something that I have been trying to do for over a year and a half."

Sakura smiled, but inner Sakura was too busy crying her eyes out to boast about their success. When given permission to leave, Sakura quickly made her way into the streets of Konaha and found that many eyes were upon her.

Keeping her eyes down, she didn't see the man in front of her, and would have collided with him, had his hands not stopped her.

"Sakura, you need to pay attention to where you are going." Kakashi quietly said, his eyes taking in her tired form. He watched as she nodded, and glanced at the book in his hand, and waited patiently for the lecture about reading such things in public, but it never came.

Instead, she walked around him and lost herself in the sea of people that were on the street, and didn't look back. Kakashi was stunned and allowed the hand that was holding his book fall to his side. He was soon joined by Ino, Sasuke, and Shikamaru.

As the older ninja looked at the younger ones, he quietly asked, "That was Sakura, right?"

Nodding, Sasuke replied, "It was her, but she doesn't look right. In fact, she hasn't looked right in a very long time."

"Would you if people shunned you?" Shikamaru asked, his tone bored. "That troublesome woman is now seeing the error of her ways, and is clearly trying to change them."

Ino quirked her eyebrow up at her former teammate and said, "I didn't know that you cared, Shika."

"I don't, but I'm also not about to kick someone when they are down, either. And, from what my old man has told me, the Hokage was overheard talking about a message she received from the elder Sakura escorted and is the only ninja that the village in the valley will accept aid from." He replied, and left the other three standing in the road, gaping after him.

The two younger ninjas glanced up at Kakashi and he shook his head. "I don't know what she did, but whatever it was, it made quite an impression on them." He muttered. "I just hope she can handle it."

* * *

Sakura closed the door to her apartment and quickly shed her weapons and clothing. Now, sitting in just her bindings and panties, she allowed the tears to come and buried her head into a pillow that had been sitting on her couch.

When you are younger, an apology was supposed to make everything alright, and things went back to normal, but now, she felt as if a part of her died. Naruto was gone, and she didn't have anyone to blame but herself.

The sky darkened and soon a hard rain began to fall down upon the village. Perhaps this was heaven's way of telling her that she wasn't crying alone.


	3. The Mending Of Broken Wings

Days quickly passed, and soon turned into weeks. To ease the ache of losing her friend, Sakura threw herself into the role of being ambassador, and was making great progress for Konoha. In fact, she had come up with an effective trade agreement that would benefit both villages with little complications.

She also found the sensei who trained her father in the way of the sword, and after listening to him for nearly two hours, yelling at her and telling her that her father would be ashamed of her previous behavior, he took her under his wing and began to instruct her, as well.

The man looked ancient, but he was sharp, and very direct. But, he was not without empathy. When he saw her determination to change herself, he dropped his attitude and took it upon himself to try and guide her, mostly because her father could not. Even though they were generations apart, he knew how to reach her.

She threw herself into her training, using the days when she was not needed to wield her sword and forget about all of her mistakes. He must have known what she was doing, because he would constantly say, "Don't try to use a bandage for your heart, girl. The only thing that heals those kinds of injuries, is time."

But, when she was in her apartment, and night had fallen, she was forced to remember. It occurred to her that she had as of yet to mourn the deaths of her parents. She had been much too busy training, pursuing Sasuke, and moving on with her life, and so, she pushed all of her feelings deep inside of her, and sealed them away.

However, the urge to mourn had found a way out of the prison she had created and when the loneliness became too great, her tears would fall and she would allow the pain and sadness to wash over her, cleansing her from the inside out.

As winter approached, Sakura was called into Tsunade's office and sat down in the chair. The woman was grinning, and that meant that either she got lucky the night before, or something major was about to happen.

"Konoha is going to be host to an event that will include several other villages, and Sakura, guess who they are all coming to meet." She said, her eyes twinkling.

"I feel sorry for whomever it is." Sakura muttered, and crossed her arms. She watched as Tsunade walked around her desk and stopped right in front of her.

The older woman grinned and knew that her young apprentice had been going through a lot in the past few months, but with all the hard work that she had done, she deserved to be recognized for it.

"Well, then start feeling sorry for yourself. You, my dear, are to be introduced to the noble families from other villages, and I have heard that one of the lords is especially interested in meeting you." The older woman clapped with glee and turned before she could see Sakura's pained expression.

"You'll need some dresses for affairs such as these and after everything you have done for Konoha, Konoha can see to it that you have the items necessary to blow these people out of the water. Go to the address on the back of this card, and tell them that I sent you. They will take care of everything." Tsunade instructed as she handed a card to Sakura.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura accepted the card and walked from the office, her head hung. She didn't want to meet any lords nor did she want to dress up and be trotted out and around like some horse. But, she soon found herself in front of the shop that Tsunade-sensei told her to go and went inside.

When she stepped inside, Sakura had the fleeting thought that she had somehow stepped into the lowest pit of hell. Dresses hung everywhere, and because it had been so long since she went shopping, she couldn't remember how to start.

Feeling overwhelmed, Sakura nearly went back outside, but was stopped when a hand touched her arm.

"Sakura?"

* * *

The day was cool, yet she found it to be pleasant. Her father was upset because he objected to her impending marriage to Kiba, but was quickly silenced with a look from her. Long gone were the days where he controlled her. Now, she controlled situations, and didn't have a problem letting him know when his opinion was wanted, and when it was not.

Her family was invited to the gala that was to be held later on in the month, and her father whined at her that she could meet a lord worthy of her at these kinds of functions. But, with a firm voice, she calmly told him that she already had someone special, and to be quiet.

Now, she strolled through the streets of Konoha, her beloved cousin right behind her, and made her way to the dress shop where she would buy a dress for the coming event. As she walked, she allowed her thoughts to turn to Naruto and softly sighed.

Neji, hearing the soft sound, made his way to his cousin's side and quietly asked, "Are you alright, Hinata-sama?"

Nodding, Hinata quietly said, "I'm fine, but I am worried for Naruto. He doesn't smile that much, anymore."

Neji quietly regarded her for several moments, but then asked, "May I speak freely?"

The grin from her told him that he could continue, and he said, "Naruto longs for a woman who made some serious mistakes against him, but he can't bring himself to forgive her. Everyone knows that they are both miserable, but neither one will take the steps necessary to correct it."

Hinata cringed and nodded. Both Sakura and Naruto were proud, and hard-headed. If only there was something that she could do to bring them together.

When they reached the shop, she teasingly asked Neji if he wanted to come inside, but the look of disdain on his face made her break out into soft giggles and she quickly told him that he was excused. Ever since breaking away from her father, Neji had taken it upon himself to see to her safety, and give her counsel, something she welcomed with open arms.

When she went inside, her eyes went wide as she took in the sight of Sakura, who looked as though she were caught in a trap, looking around with wild eyes. When she turned to leave, Hinata reached out and touched her arm.

"Sakura?"

When the pink-haired ninja turned, a kind smile crossed Hinata's lips and she asked, "Are you alright?"

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "Tsunade wants me to get dresses, but I don't know where to start." She grumbled, an embarrassed hue tinting her cheeks.

Hinata's smile was kind as she gently took Sakura's arm and led her over to where a sales clerk was standing. She pushed Sakura forward and said, "We need dresses, for Sakura and for myself."

Sakura was amazed at what time could do to a person. Hinata spoke clearly and didn't stutter once, as she did when they were kids. Her voice was filled with authority and her eyes didn't shy away.

The young woman smiled and led her customers to a set of chairs and quickly brought out dresses for them to chose from. Hinata decided that Sakura would get her dresses first, mostly because the female ninja looked as if she were facing a death squad, and then when Sakura had what she needed, she would get her own dress.

Hinata was quick to select several dresses for Sakura, and knew that she would look amazing, but it was one dress that was hanging off to the side that she knew would look stunning on her friend. Softly, she spoke to the sales clerk and told her to put the dress with the others that she had selected, but Sakura was not to know that it was there.

Once the dresses were selected, Sakura produced the card that Tsunade-sensei gave to her and presented it to the young lady. Her eyes growing wide, she bit her lip and quickly asked if she could have a minute to speak with the owner.

Soon, a short man came rushing out from the back of the store, and his smile nearly cracked his face. He motioned for the young woman to finish helping Hinata, and he happily exclaimed, "It is a great pleasure to have you in my store, Ambassador. I have also been instructed to include shoes, and the necessary accessories to ensure that you look your absolute best for the coming event. Now, let me get your shoe size, and I will gather everything together and have them deliver them to your address."

Sakura, in shock, allowed him to lead her over to a chair and slip off her boot. Once he got her size, he mumbled to himself about some kind of new shipment that would fit her beautifully, and quickly jotted down her address. Once he was finished, he bowed to her and assured her that once he went over the dresses and ensured that they were in perfect condition, he would send them, and the other items over, at no expense to her, of course.

Nodding slightly, she watched as he bowed and turned away to speak with Hinata, who had asked for his attention. Sakura stood there, and waited patiently for Hinata, and when she was done, she walked over to Sakura and smiled.

"I am hungry, and would like to know if you would join me?" She asked, a smile upon her face. When Sakura nodded, Hinata reached out and grasped the door handle and opened it. The two women stepped out into the sunshine, and Hinata quickly steered Sakura over to a small cafe that she enjoyed. Both women ordered their food, and because she knew that he would be along shortly, she ordered something for Neji, too.

Finally, they were alone, and Hinata decided that it was time that Sakura knew that she wasn't alone. People were not made of stone, and needed companionship. Everyone needed a friend, and Hinata believed that she could give Sakura what she so desperately needed.

"I'm glad to have run into you, Sakura. I've heard that you have been a pretty busy ninja." Hinata said, as she reached to grab onto her drink.

Sakura nodded and softly replied, "I've been learning how to use my dad's sword, and doing missions. It takes up quite a bit of my time."

Nodding, Hinata smiled. "I understand that Konoha has you to thank for the new trade with the people from the valley. You've made many in this village happy with that agreement, simply because valley is rich in goods that we can get at a cheaper price than at any other village. That in itself, has made you a hero."

Sakura allowed her eyes to stray to the table and silently wondered why Hinata was being so nice to her. Hinata was Naruto's friend, and she had hurt him terribly. Shouldn't the Hyuuga heiress be snubbing her?

Hinata frowned slightly when she noticed Sakura's saddened expression. She knew exactly what the other woman was thinking and reached across the table to touch Sakura's hand. When the woman looked up in surprise, Hinata quietly said, "Despite his actions, Naruto misses you, and still loves you. He just can't seem to overcome his anger, but I think that it is only a matter of time before he comes around. You'll see, everything will be fine."

"I apologized to him." Sakura whispered and looked up to see Hinata's shocked expression. "I apologized, and he made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with me."

Hinata was stunned. Naruto never told her that Sakura had apologized. In fact, he just grew moodier as the weeks went on. When she looked into the eyes of Sakura, she could see the tears that had formed and the pain that lived within her without using her family's special ability.

Not knowing what to say, Hinata simply stood up and moved to Sakura's side and embraced her. The soft sobs coming from the pink ninja caused tears to form in her own eyes and silently, she wondered how many nights Sakura had cried alone.

Finally, when she managed to control her voice, Sakura said, "I made a lot of mistakes, Hinata. I was really awful to him. I pushed him away because he offered me something that no one else did, and that was acceptance. He accepted me for me, and because I didn't know how to deal with not having to prove myself to him, I attacked him for anything and everything."

Hinata moved her chair closer to Sakura and held her hand in hers. Nodding, she quietly said, "Yes, you did make mistakes, but there is such a thing as second chances, and I believe that you, of all people, deserve one. And, if Naruto will not stand beside you, then I will and I won't be leaving, no matter how hard you try to get rid of me. Besides, I like the idea of having another female around that I can talk to."

Sakura cringed and replied, "Naruto won't like that. He won't want to come around if he knows that I am going to be around."

Shrugging, Hinata said, "Well, I want people around me who I consider to be good people, and because I consider you a friend, he will either deal with it, or he can move on. It hurts to say that, but I think that you need my friendship more than he does, especially now."

Sakura heard the footsteps of the waitress coming closer and leaned back when her plate of food was placed in front of her. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hinata smiling at her, and gave a tiny smile back when Hinata quietly whispered, "You don't have to be strong around me. If you'll be my strength in my troubled times, then I will be yours."

Upon seeing Sakura's small smile, Hinata returned it and glanced at the door when it opened and Neji strolled in, just as she expected. He walked over to the table, and nodded at both women, and pulled out the chair where the third plate was sitting.

He listened intently as the two women talked, and was surprised to hear Sakura's intelligent answers to Hinata's questions, especially when it came to the politics concerning their new alliance. Sakura clearly deserved her position as ambassador, and her new attitude was very becoming. If he didn't know her before her change of attitude, he would have said that she was the type of woman he would have liked for himself. The change in her had been drastic.

When lunch was over, Sakura walked outside with the cousins, and was stunned when Hinata turned to embrace her. When she pulled back, Hinata smiled and said, "I will be coming over to your apartment the day of the gala, and will select your dress so that you will not have to worry about deciding on what to wear."

When Sakura nodded, Hinata extended an open invitation to the Hyuuga compound and wrangled a promise from Sakura to join her and Kiba on Saturday. Satisfied that Sakura would be there, Hinata waved at her, while Neji nodded at her, and the two cousins walked away and disappeared into the crowded streets.

Biting her lip, Sakura turned on her heel and began walking towards the flower shop, intent on following through with the plans that she made before Tsunade-sensei called her into her office. As she walked, she thought about what Hinata said, and smiled. For the first time, she didn't feel so lonely, and realized that it was a nice feeling.

The town's flower shop, and only flower shop, was owned by Ino's father, and Sakura sighed when she realized that it was Ino, who was working the register.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura pushed the door open and heard Ino's gasp. The two women stared at each other, but then Ino quietly said, "It's nice to see you, Sakura. How've you been?"

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "Good. How about you?"

Ino laughed, but inwardly cringed when her laugh came out hollow. But, she put on a brave front and said, "I've been great. I'm engaged."

Holding her hand out for Sakura to inspect, she watched with baited breath as Sakura leaned forward, and then let it out when Sakura replied, "It's a very pretty ring. Congratulations...to you and to Sasuke."

Inner Sakura waved her hands in the air and snapped, "Gee, that's some compensation. A huge rock on her finger in exchange for a loveless marriage. What a lucky girl."

Sakura looked around and froze when her eyes fell on a group of flowers that she knew would be perfect. Moving away from the counter, she carefully picked up four bouquets and then moved back to the counter.

Ino smiled and quickly rang up the amount, but froze when her father came rushing from the back, his eyes frantic.

Sakura heard the loud pounding of footsteps and turned to see Ino's father rushing towards them. When he finally reached the counter, he was breathless, but that didn't stop him from putting on a charming smile and asked, "Ambassador, what brings you to my family's little shop?"

Sakura was quickly growing tired of being called 'Ambassador' despite the fact that she was one, and quickly said, "Please, Yamanaka-sama, call me Sakura. And, I am here to buy flowers."

The man's grin widened, but then turned to a frown when he noticed that Ino had charged full price. That would never do. He knew that other establishments were grateful to Sakura and the new trade agreement, and that they had vowed to take care of her if and when she needed their services.

"Ino, those flowers are on sale. Please make sure that Sakura receive the sales price." He said, his eyes turning to his daughter in silent warning to keep her big mouth shut.

Ino was surprised. Her father, as greedy as he was, never put flowers on sale, unless they were dying. But, she did as she was told and accepted the money that Sakura offered. Once the transaction was finished, Ino watched as her father escorted Sakura to the door, and cheerfully told her that should she need anymore flowers, to come to him personally.

Once she was gone, she shot her dad a glare and snapped, "Smooth dad. I'm sure she didn't notice the fact that you were totally kissing her ass."

The older man blushed and quietly said, "It's because of her that I am able to pay for your wedding. So, do us both a favor and cork it."

Ino sighed as her father turned and walked into the back and allowed her shoulders to slump. At the rate she and Sasuke were going, her father might not need to worry about paying for a wedding because there might not be one.

She and Sasuke had been fighting, now more than ever, and he constantly snapped at her that she should be thrilled that he was marrying her. She, of course, snapped back that she would be thrilled, if she hadn't been his last choice.

That fight, the most recent, was the reason why they were not speaking. In fact, they had not seen each other in over a week, and to be honest, she was glad. The man had an ego the size of a small village, and she...well, her eye had fallen on another. But, Sasuke had already gone to her father to ask for her hand, and he had agreed. So, she was stuck.

She was...jealous of Sakura. Once she would have rubbed her friend's nose in the fact that Sasuke had chosen her, but now, she envied the woman Sakura had become, but could not bring herself to tell the woman that.

Besides, everyone in the village knew just how much of a lone wolf Sakura had become. It was a joke in the village that instead of calling her Ambassador Haruno, they would call her Ambassador Wolf. She was constantly alone, and if by some miracle she wasn't, she didn't keep company for too long.

Even Kakashi had tried to pull her out of her shell, but the woman simply refused to budge. It was well-known that Sakura was training with her father's old sensei, and the old man quickly got rid of anyone who dared to distract her from her training. The old man protected her viciously.

Sakura didn't know it, but her new sensei had traveled into the village, one day, when Sakura left to go to valley. He walked until he found Kakashi, and immediately, in front of a small crowd, informed the copy ninja that he was a sorry excuse of a sensei and out of all of his students, he had failed Sakura miserably. He left by telling Kakashi that it was a mystery to him as to why Sakura wasn't dead, because Kakashi sure the hell didn't teach her anything.

Ino cringed at the memory, and bit her lip. She, too, failed Sakura. They were supposed to be friends, and she should have called Sakura out on her behavior long ago. But she didn't, and it was because she knew that it was Sakura's behavior that had pushed Sasuke towards her.

When team seven parted ways, she and Sasuke grew close. He told her, one night, that he once considered Sakura as a romantic interest, but decided against her when her violent streak grew. Inner Ino had cheered and quickly suggested that she do something to take his mind off of her pink-haired friend.

Now, she was reaping the rewards of her actions. And, she was miserable. Sakura did a lot of damage on her own, but that didn't justify her friend suddenly abandoning her. All over a guy.

No, the real reason why she walked away from Sakura wasn't due to the violence. That could have been dealt with in a one-on-one match, probably ending with a couple of bloody noses and bruised egos. The real reason she walked away was because she didn't want Sakura to redeem herself in Sasuke's eyes. If she had, then the Uchiha might have turned from Ino to Sakura, despite Sakura not having any noble blood within her.

Now, Sakura was the village star, and was continuing to raise the village's opinion of her, and all she had was...well, she had a ring and a less than enthusiastic fiancée. Lucky her.

Shikamaru was right. Relationships really were troublesome.

* * *

Sakura smiled. A genuine smile that lit up her face as she approached. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry that I'm late. I guess you might say that I've been pretty distracted for a while. But, I'm here now and look at what I brought the both of you. I picked these up at Ino's shop, and thought that they would look really pretty here."

Pulling at some grass, she quickly arranged two of the bouquets so that they made an attractive display and then sat back to look at her work.

"There. That looks nice, doesn't it?" She asked, and was treated to the sounds of the birds chirping as a reply.

Sitting down, Sakura hung her head and quietly said, "I don't have any excuses to give to you as to why I am late, mostly because I've run out of excuses and am tired of trying to justify my actions. I'm coming here, to both of you, to tell you how angry I am at of you."

Sakura took in a deep breath, and face the headstones that held her parents' names. "You left me. Yes, I know that it wasn't your fault, and you didn't want to. But, you did. You left, and I made a lot of mistakes without your guidance.

I'd like to think that if you had lived, I'd be married with children of my own. I'd be working at the hospital, and have a great, happy life. Instead, I have made mistake after mistake, and though I am trying, I don't know how to fix them. See, I hurt someone, both physically and emotionally, and now, he doesn't want to be around me. I understand why, and I accept it. I just wish things had been different, you know?"

Sakura took in another deep breath and said, "Now that you know why I am angry, I also want to tell you that I forgive you for leaving. I want to offer you the forgiveness that I won't be getting, and I want to tell you about the lessons that I learned. Maybe then, you will understand why I can give forgiveness so easily.

I learned that people are not perfect, I am not perfect. I never will be. I learned that people need kindness and a hug, rather than harshness and a hard fist. I never knew that words could have such a horrible impact, but they do. And, I learned that sometimes, it really is too late to make amends.

See, there's this guy, Naruto, and I hurt him badly. All he offered me was kindness and acceptance, and in return, he received my temper...and fists. I apologized, but it wasn't accepted. I hoped it would be, but it wasn't. I guess 'I'm sorry' isn't enough to fix the damages that I caused, because he doesn't want me near him, and I'm going to respect his wishes, even if I didn't before."

Sakura's eyes moved over the quiet field, and stopped on a headstone that made her smile. "Thankfully, someone brought me to my senses, and opened my eyes. It's because of him that I am here, today. Had he not intervened, well, I don't know where I'd be. Anyways, I just wanted you to know why my reasons for forgiving you. But, I have to go and promise to come more often. After all, we are family, and it's time I remember that. I love you both, and will see you later."

Standing up, Sakura grabbed the other bouquets and moved over to where Obito and Rin's headstones were. Smiling, she knelt down by Rin's stone, and softly said, "Hi. You don't know me, but my name is Haruno Sakura. Your friend, Obito, is my friend, too, and I hope you don't mind if I come to visit you when I visit him. I brought the two of you some flowers."

Placing the flowers in a display, much like the ones on her parent's headstones, Sakura grinned and brushed her hands off when she was done. "There you go. I hope that you like them. Both of you." She said, and turned her eyes to Obito's name.

"You said that I could come and talk to you, and just wanted to let you know of what has happened to me since you were here. I became the ambassador for Konoha to Junaki, the head village in the valley. Want to know something funny?" She asked.

Her lips quirked up in a grin and she said, "The elder of Junaki told me that it was impossible for their enemies to know which village in the valley was the head village because no one knows the names of any of the villages, at least no one who isn't familiar with them. So, if an enemy wants information to find the head village, they can't because all of the villages are called the village in the valley. They usually distinguish the villages by numbers, but Junaki is the only one with a name, because it's the oldest."

"I apologized to Naruto, but it was too late. But, thank you for your help, Obito. I'm much better, and despite losing Naruto, I think that things are changing for me. It's going slowly, but it's getting better. Anyways, I better go. I'm training with my dad's old sensei and he decided to change our training from morning to evening. So, I will see you later, and hope things are well with the two of you. Take care of yourselves." She said, and smiled before turning and walking back towards the town.

As she walked, she noticed that her heart didn't hurt as much as it did before. In fact, she found that she was looking forward to getting together with Hinata, her friend.

Friend. She actually had someone who wanted to be her friend, and who didn't cringe away from her. Hinata didn't ask anything of her, other than to talk and it was nice. Yes, things were changing, and she had to believe that they would continue to get better. She had to have faith.

A dark eye followed Sakura's form until she disappeared and then glanced over at the flowers she left behind. Kneeling down, he allowed a finger to touch the soft petals of a flower and shook his head.

Why would Sakura bring flowers to someone she didn't even know? In all his time coming to this place, he never once brought flowers. Perhaps it was a female thing, but it never occurred to him to make such a gesture. After all, Obito and Rin couldn't see them, and it was silly to waste money on such things.

Kakashi sighed and sat down. This place was the one place he could do his serious thinking at, and he had a lot of things to think over.

Was the old man right? Did he fail Sakura? He knew that he showed Sasuke and Naruto more attention, but Sakura never seemed to mind. But, perhaps he was just too busy to notice her frustration. Maybe, he held some blame for how Sakura turned out. After all, when children become students, it is up to the sensei to raise them to be good ninja, and he had not done that with Sakura. No, he pushed her aside to train the boys, and she had suffered.

Gods, forgive him.

* * *

Theme for the chapter is...

_Forgive...sounds good,  
Forget...I don't think I could,  
They say, time heals everything,  
But I'm still waiting..._

Dixie Chicks, Not ready to make nice.


	4. The Road Of Good Intentions

As he made his way from the training grounds, he was shocked to find Kakashi waiting for him. Curious, he walked towards the man, and noticed that, for once, he didn't have his infamous book pulled out. Instead, he seemed...off.

While the slouch was present, the cool confidence was not, but rather a sadness seemed to roll off of him. When the older man began to speak, he made sure to give him his full attention.

"Was I a good sensei to you, Naruto? And, I don't want you to try and make me feel better by lying to me. I want the truth." Kakashi said, his eye trained upon his student.

Naruto bit his lip and looked away. Yeah, Kakashi did instruct him, but only enough to keep his skin safe. However, it was when he met his perverted Jiraiya-sensei that he began to surpass everyone's expectations of him. But, Kakashi had become a good friend; an older brother of sorts to all of team seven.

"I guess you did your best." Naruto said, his blue eyes trained on Kakashi's dark one. "But, you needed to concentrate on Sasuke. If you hadn't, we might have lost him for good to Orochimaru."

"Did I teach you anything worth while?" Kakashi persisted, his tone soft. It was worse than he had thought. While he honestly knew that he had done wrong by Sakura, he never imagined that he had done wrong by Naruto, as well. He honestly thought that he had given the young man just as much attention as he did Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto reached behind his head to scratch and then sighed. "Well, you taught me enough to keep me alive. And, it was because of you that I was forced to find someone who could push me to my limits, so yes, I think that you did." He said, firmly.

Kakashi sighed and lowered himself to the ground. "You know, when I received your team, I hated it. In fact, I thought that all of you were idiots. Sasuke was the brooding heir, you were the village clown and outcast, and Sakura was the village cry-baby and couldn't seem to keep her eyes off of Sasuke." He said, and didn't notice that Naruto's jaw clenched. "But, as I worked with you, I saw real improvements, but then the mess with Sasuke started and I suppose that I forgot that you and Sakura needed me too. You needed someone to help you deal with the issues that were laid at your feet when you were a newborn, and Sakura needed someone to help her deal with the issues that she developed after her parents died. I failed both of you, and for that, I am sorry."

Naruto looked away and swallowed the lump in his throat. He remembered when Sakura had received the news that her parents had been killed and she had taken it well, saying that it was apart of being a ninja. But, he could recall a couple of nights, waking and finding Sakura sitting up and staring into the night, lost in thought. Perhaps she hadn't dealt with her parents deaths as well as she wanted them to think.

The hand on his shoulder brought him out of his musings, and he glanced up at Kakashi, who was now standing up and staring down at him. "I have to go, but I just wanted you to know that you have turned out to be a really good ninja, Naruto. Jiraiya has done a really good job with you." Kakashi murmured. He turned and as he walked away, he lifted his hand up and gave a wave, before disappearing in a poof of smoke.

Naruto groaned and fell onto his back into the grass and stared up at the bright, blue sky. It was nearly a week ago when he stumbled upon the sight of Hinata sitting with Sakura in a cafe, holding the pink-haired woman in her arms as she cried. He knew that her tears were mostly over him, and for a moment, he nearly lost the battle with his heart and went to her. He wanted to wipe away her tears and tell her that he forgave her and didn't mean it when he said that he didn't want her near him. But, at the last minute, he managed to turn and walk away, though he, too, felt tears in his eyes, but didn't allow them to fall.

Ever since then, Hinata and Sakura had become close and he heard that she even went to Hinata's home and had dinner. Kiba had quietly told him that some grudges didn't need to be held, and that perhaps things had just gone too far. But, he stubbornly told Kiba to mind his own business, and said that Sakura was the one who started this, and he had finished it.

The dog-ninja sadly shook his head and murmured that Sakura had done a lot of changing, and though he didn't know how it happened, he knew that whatever it was, it was a good thing. Leaving him to his thoughts, Kiba left to go and find Hinata, and didn't see his shoulders slump.

Gods, he missed her. Try as he might, he simply couldn't forget her. Hell, on his last mission, he had met a young lady who was more than willing to help him forget, but his damn body couldn't react to her. So, he sent her off and it was when he was in the shower when his mind began to torment him with the images of Sakura, that his body reacted. Finally, he ended up having to stand in a cold shower to get his body to calm, but it was then he began to have doubt his resolve.

Yeah, he'd seen Sakura around town, and when he was sure that she wasn't looking, he allowed his eyes to roam over her, cherishing her. She wouldn't know that every night, he would walk by her apartment to make sure that she was home safely. She wouldn't know that when she would leave for valley, he would trail her until she cleared the woods that led to Konoha.

She wouldn't know, because he wouldn't tell her. He simply could not allow himself to go back on his word. And, he always kept his word, though this time, he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

What really got to him was how two-faced the village was. Before she became the ambassador for valley, they talked behind her back and shot her glares, just as they had done to him, especially when they found out that he had failed yet another exam. Now, they greeted her with wide smiles and open arms, grateful that she had managed to give them a way to make more money.

However, Sakura didn't seem to notice. Instead, she kept to herself, and when she wasn't with Hinata, or that crabby new sensei of hers, then she was alone, and seemed happier. But, the most noticeable change was when Choji accidentally spilled his drink all over Sakura's outfit, in front of a bunch of people, and instead of pounding him, she simply grabbed a few napkins and began to dab at the stain, while assuring Choji that she knew it was an accident and it wasn't important.

The old Sakura would have beaten the hefty ninja to a bloody pulp a few months back.

There were times, when he covertly watched her, that he could see similarities between them. Sakura had discovered how he had felt all those times, when they were kids, and had to face public displeasure. She knew how it felt to be rejected and cast out. Hell, he cast her out.

Jiraiya-sensei once told him that he thought that Sakura used violence as a way of hiding from her true feelings and needed an outlet for them. Actually, what the perverted man had actually said was that she was in need of a good lay to get those demons of hers under control.

He, of all people, knew about demons. Hell, technically he was a demon because of the fox that was sealed within him. People were scared of him, and because of that fear, they shunned him and made sure to let him know that he was not wanted.

Until he became a part of team seven. For the first time, he was surrounded by people who talked to him, and worked with him, without fear. Sasuke, too, had demons of his own to deal with, but it never occurred to him that perhaps, Sakura, had demons within her, and that she hadn't found the courage to face them. Until recently.

Ino confided to a few of them when they met at the bar, that she had bought some flowers, and when she had gone to place flowers on her grandmother's headstone, Ino had seen flowers, just like the ones Sakura had purchased, placed upon her parents' headstones, and on the headstones of a ninja named Rin, and on the headstone of Uchiha Obito, which caught Sasuke's attention.

Obito, he said, was one of the weakest Uchihas. He had been on a team with Kakashi and a kunoichi named Rin, and they were led by the fourth hokage. He had been killed in the field, and it was the sharingan in his left eye that had been removed and placed into Kakashi's eye socket.

So, to hear that Sakura brought his deceased family member flowers came as a shock to the normally unflappable Uchiha. But, to him, he thought it a nice gesture. Apparently, so did the others at their table.

He had spoken to Hinata on a couple of occasions since seeing her at the cafe with Sakura, and even though she was as friendly as ever, she had mentioned, on a couple of occasions, that people were the only creatures on the planet who could change their ways and should be commended for it, not condemned.

Because it was Hinata, he didn't tell her to mind her own business, but instead, he simply stared at the ground. He knew that she was talking about Sakura, and he briefly wondered if Sakura had asked her to intervene on her behalf, but quickly dismissed the idea, because he knew that Sakura would keep her word to him and stay away from him, as he told her.

But, late at night, when all was quiet, he wished that she wasn't so damn good at keeping her word. He had the sneaking suspicion that should she come to him again and apologize, his heart wouldn't let him send her away.

But, she didn't. In fact, she did her best to avoid him, even to the point of going out of her way so that she knew there wasn't a chance of bumping into him. That was why he had, unconsciously at first, altered his routine. On occasion, he would see her, and when she caught sight of him, she quickly swiveled on her heel and went the other way...not looking back.

And...it hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot more than her fists did. He supposed that a part of him wanted her to come to him, begging him, to forgive her and to be her friend again, and when she did, he would grudgingly give in and they could move forward. But, then there was that part of him that wanted to see her suffer, just as he had suffered at her hands, and the day he had seen her tears, despite the pain he felt at seeing them, a tiny part of him sighed in satisfaction. Now she knew how it felt.

Sitting up, Naruto gazed at the quiet training field and closed his eyes. Now that Sakura had a taste of what he had gotten, he didn't know if it was worth keeping a hold of this grudge. He was miserable...Sakura was miserable...but, if they could find a way back, then perhaps they could be happy, again.

Sighing, he stood up and began walking towards town. He needed to explore his feelings a bit more before making a final decision, but he did make the decision that he would not do anything to make Sakura feel any worse than she already did.

Perhaps now that she had gained a glimpse into how it felt to be in his shoes, now they could start fresh, and on even ground. Perhaps it was time to forgive her...and himself for ignoring the problems that she clearly needed help with, but had been ignored. Maybe now, they could fight their demons together, and as a team, they could beat them.

For the first time in a long time, a smile brightened his face and he found himself walking into the village with a spring in his step. Today was a good day, he decided.

* * *

Kakashi stared at the bottle before him and sighed. When things got rough, the best cure was a good, stiff drink. But, his bottle was untouched and he couldn't bring himself to touch it. After talking to Naruto, and finally realizing that he failed his team, he couldn't help but think on other things that he failed at.

He hated his father. He did everything he could to separate himself from his father's memory. He wanted to be a by-the-book ninja, but it was because of Obito that he found himself following his father's footsteps by disobeying orders. He disobeyed and as a result, helped Obito save Rin.

He failed Obito, by losing him on a mission. Even at the end, Obito smiled and begged him to allow him to give him a gift. He gave his good friend, Kakashi, his family's greatest weapon, the sharingan. It was both a blessing and a curse, but the dying ninja knew that if anyone could handle it, then Kakashi could. The only thing he asked was that Kakashi protect Rin, at all costs. He wouldn't tell her, but Obito had been in love with Rin, even though her eyes focused on Kakashi.

But, he couldn't even keep his promise. After Obito was laid to rest, Kakashi watched as Rin began to wilt. When Obito died, so did a part of Rin. She finally realized what she could have had with the young Uchiha, but she cast it aside for someone who could never return her love. Just as Sakura had done with Naruto, in favor of Sasuke.

Kakashi would never admit this, but after Obito died, he began to experience things that he knew he could only feel due to Obito's influence. Perhaps it was because of the sharingan, but as time passed, he noticed that he was doing things that Obito did. He was constantly late, a trait that Obito had, and have a habit of telling half-truths, another Obito trait.

Over time, as he watched Rin fall into despair, he began to feel things, things that he knew Obito felt, and did his best to try and relieve her pain. But, it simply wasn't enough. In the end, she had died in his arms, her pain too great for her to live with, and when she took her final breath, it had not been his name upon her lips, but Obito's. It seemed that she discovered too late that she loved Obito in return, and when he died, she had nothing to live for.

That was the reason why he refused to allow anyone to get close to him. The two people he allowed close, he visited every day, at their graves. And, it was every day that he apologized. It seemed to him that he would be apologizing for the rest of his life. He failed them, and he failed the team he was assigned to protect and teach.

He was a failure. He had done a good job of ignoring that fact, but Sakura's new sensei made sure to let him and everyone within earshot know just how much he screwed up, and until it was in his face, he didn't have to own up to it. Until now.

_"Kakashi! I want to talk to you." The old man growled, his voice hard. When he turned, he watched as the old man came forward, and sneered when he bowed respectfully to him._

For several moments, he regarded the man who was once known as Konoha's deadliest and most cunning ninja and mentally noted that the man seemed agitated. Glancing around, he noticed that Sakura wasn't around, but then remembered that she had departed for valley earlier that day. When his eye focused on the man, he noticed that the man's hand was gripping his cane tightly, his knuckles white, and realized that the man wasn't just angry, he was down-right pissed.

"What may I do for you, Nachito-sama?" He asked, his tone respectful. As a child, he heard stories about this man and his legendary skills. Once, he had been offered the position of hokage, but he refused and stood behind the man who became the third hokage. To say this man was a legend was an understatement.

Nachito Akumitsa glared at him and said, "I understand that you were Sakura's sensei, before she began to train underneath Tsunade. Is that correct?"

If anyone else referred to the hokage by her first name, they'd have been jumped by those who were faithful to her, which basically included the entire village, but this man was just as respected, if not more, than the female hokage, so no one batted an eye when he called her by her first name and left out the honorific.

Nodding, he returned his book to its resting place and said, "Yes, I did teach her. Is something wrong?"

Snorting, the old man snapped, "Yeah, she had a shitty sensei who pushed her aside in favor of the males of his team."

The crowd around them gasped, and for a moment, he was stunned. Yeah, he did pay quite a bit more attention to the boys, mostly because Naruto was constantly getting into trouble, and Sasuke needed him to protect him from Orochimaru. However, he didn't understand why that was Nachito-sama's business.

Using a calm tone, he asked, "May I ask why you are involving yourself? Even though I did give most of my attention to Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura did receive instruction from me, and if she couldn't handle a situation, I protected her. So, I don't understand why you are so angry."

The old man shook his head angrily. He stepped closer, and straightened to his full height. It was clear to him that the old man simply chose to give off the appearance of a man who was feeble, but when he straightened, it proved to him that the old man was anything but feeble, and probably knew enough to put him in the ground, even at his old age.

"Angry?" Akumista gritted out. "Actually, I'm shocked. From what I have heard, and seen, that girl should be dead and buried beside her parents. You didn't teach her anything, except the bare necessities, and if we are going to be honest, you really didn't do too good of a job with that Uzumaki kid. From what I understand, his new sensei, Jiraiya, has done the job that you were assigned to do, and has had better success at controlling him, too. The only reason why they are alive, after your teaching, is by pure and stupid luck. Nothing more."

His temper got the best of him as the old man's words soaked into his brain. Stepping forward, he snapped, "I had a student who was a target of a madman. What would you have done?"

Akumista cocked his head, and replied, "I would have trained all three of my students to the best of my ability so that all three of them could have whipped their enemy's ass. I sure the hell would not have pushed them aside and let them wander around, believing that they could handle themselves, especially against ninja who were better trained by a sensei who actually cared about them. The purpose of a team is to protect each other, and that no one is any more important than the others. That is what teamwork is, and that is what I would have taught them. Then again, I was and am currently, a better sensei than you, so I wouldn't expect you to understand."

He wanted to punch the man. He really did, but as his fist clenched, he felt Genma grab his arm and heard him softly say, "Don't do it, man. It's not worth your career."

When the old man snorted, he glanced up and allowed his eye to widen as the old man addressed the crowd.

"Listen up...if the so-called copy ninja takes a swing at me, I don't want him to get in trouble for it. Besides, I want the opportunity to prove to him that he's not as good of a ninja as he believes he is." The old man said, his face twisted into a sneer.

However, the burst of fury quickly faded when he realized that this was what the man wanted. He wanted to fight him, and he wasn't going to fall for it. Turning on his heel, he glanced over his shoulder and calmly said, "Think what you want. I did the best with what I had at the time. All three have grown into successful ninjas, and that, for me, is proof enough."

As he walked away, the old man began to laugh and yelled, "Yes, they are successful, and it is due to Tsunade and Jiraiya, and that, for me, is proof enough that you are a failure. You are pathetic, and I am going to ensure that no other student be subjected to your negligent teaching. Count on it, you smug bastard."

Turning around, he found that the old man had turned his own back and was walking away, his head held high. Several of his fellow senseis gathered around him and dragged him away and into the bar, while Genma told the crowd of villagers and ninjas that the show was over. Then, he followed them and sat down at the table, giving his own assurances that he was a good sensei.

But, as he sat at the table, looking at the bottle before him, he realized that the dye had been cast. Ever since that day, he found himself wondering what that team would have been like if he had not been their sensei.

Reaching forward, he was about to grab the bottle, but his wrist was caught and a soft voice said, "You look like you could use some company. So, do you mind if I join you?"

Looking up, he found himself staring at Sakura, her green eyes intent upon his. When he silently nodded, she smiled and took a seat beside him and sighed. It was clear that she was dressed for travel, and he asked, "Are you leaving for valley?"

Nodding, Sakura motioned for the waitress and ordered a soda before she said, "Yeah, I received word that they are having some trouble with a small group of thugs. I'm guessing that they are trying to figure out which village is the head village, and so far, they have not been able to figure it out. So, I am leaving to deal with the situation, but saw you sitting here as I walked by the window, and decided to come in and say hello.

He glanced down at the table and then back at her. He needed to hear it from her lips. He already got Naruto's opinion, but now, he needed to hear hers.

"Sakura...was I a good sensei to you?" He asked, his eye focused on the table. He waited for her reply, but when it didn't come, he looked up into a thoughtful face.

Sakura carefully thought for several moments before she said, "When I was younger, I watched as you instructed Sasuke, and Naruto, but I figured that you'd get to me when you had time, so I did my best to not be such a burden, even though I knew that I wasn't strong enough to be of any help. As time went by, I suppose a part of me grew jealous of the attention you gave to them, but I didn't say anything because I knew that Sasuke needed you, and since Naruto had met Jiraiya, and was learning things from him, I felt as if I had been thrown away."

Kakashi felt himself sink lower into his seat and silently groaned. It was worse than he feared. However, when Sakura spoke again, his head jerked up. "When I became Tsunade-sensei's apprentice, I had a mission. I wanted to prove to you, Sasuke, and even Naruto that I could shine. I guess for a while, I lost track of all that was and should have been important to me, and now that I can see things clearly, I think that all of us were faced with circumstances that were unusual, and we simply had to adapt. I like to think that I took one for the team when you focused more on the guys. And, you did protect us when we could not. I'm sure we gave you plenty of headaches with our bickering, and you drove us crazy with your tests and your obsession with smut, so I guess we are even. So, to answer your question, yes. I think that you did the best with what you had, at the time and I do think that you were and are, a good sensei."

The door opened, causing both Kakashi and Sakura to look up at the newcomer. Sakura lifted an eyebrow as Sasuke walked towards them. When he reached the table, he pulled out a chair and sat down, even though he had not been invited and looked at the pair before him.

When he first heard that Sakura had been named as the ambassador for Konoha, he had doubted that she would even make it a week before giving up and walking away from the title. But, she surprised him by making agreements that not only benefited their village, but also gave them the ability to cross through the valley on missions, which would make his life, and the life of other ANBU easier.

If he had known that this was the way Sakura would have turned out, he never would have approached Ino. He could deal with Sakura and her temper tantrums by ignoring her. However, word reached him that all of Sakura's former bad habits seemed to disappear as she grew comfortable in her role as ambassador, and he cursed himself for not following his first gut reaction and held off on seeking out a wife for himself.

While it was true that nobility should wed nobility, just to preserve the rich bloodline of powerful families, but when a commoner, such as Sakura, rose to such high levels within their village, then it was acceptable for a noble to marry that person, with the blessing of their family.

When he decided that it was time to rebuild his clan, he chose Hinata, due to the fact of her family's status. But, she explained to him that she didn't care about tradition and was seeing Kiba, and intended on staying with him.

Because she was the only daughter left to chose from, Sasuke went to Ino's father and asked for her hand, which her father agreed to. Ino, of course, was thrilled and quickly began preparations for their impending marriage.

Now, he was regretting his decision, and was seriously debating on calling off the wedding. He didn't care for her, and was growing sick of the constant arguing. He could also tell that Ino, too, was miserable, and didn't look at him with adoring eyes anymore. Instead, she turned those eyes onto another, and it disturbed him when he realized that he just didn't care.

Nara Shikamaru could have her and her loud mouth, for all he cared.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, Sakura's face grew ashen when she noticed the clock on the well behind the two men.

Jumping up, she cried, "Oh no! I'm late. Sorry, but I have to go. The messenger is waiting on me, because he is going to walk back with me to his village. I'll talk to you later."

In her haste to leave, Sakura ended up knocking over her chair and nearly running over an elderly man who was coming through the door as she was going out. She grasped his arm, to keep him from falling, and when the man recognized her, his tone was fond and he said, "I hope the special fella that you are rushing to meet doesn't get upset that I made you late, Ambassador."

Blushing, Sakura steadied the man and shook her head as a giggle slipped out. "Sorry to disappoint you, but the only special fellow that I am meeting is the messenger from valley, and I'm late."

Waving at the elderly man, and then to her former sensei and teammate, she was gone. Kakashi and Sasuke turned to look at each other, and Kakashi sighed.

"She looks good, doesn't she? Her new role in life suits her." He murmured, as he poured himself a drink and then one for Sasuke.

The Uchiha nodded, and took a sip of his drink. As the booze burned its way down his throat, he smiled and wondered if she had a date for the upcoming gala. If not, perhaps he would offer to escort her. Of course, he would need to decide what he was going to do about Ino, but he knew that his mind was pretty much made up.

He refused to have an unhappy union. After all the hard work he put into rebuilding himself after he finally made good on his promise of killing his brother, he deserved happiness, and he was beginning to wonder if he could find that happiness with a certain pink-haired ninja-turned-ambassador. 


	5. Silent Lucidity

A/N: I am going to put up all of the chapters to this fic. The warning is set for language and adult situations. This is an edited version, and the full version is on another site.

* * *

Waving at the young messenger, Sakura watched as he grinned and then ran off to report to his superior about how his mission went. Glancing around, she was pleased to see that the village of Junaki was thriving and appeared happy. 

However, when she saw the elder, who had finally told her to call him Anikumo, she took note that he appeared to be upset and quickly was at his side.

"It is good to see you, Anikumo-sama. I have heard that you are having some trouble." She said, a small smile upon her lips.

The elder sighed and shook his head. "We know that there are three of them, and they appear to be bandits. However, we can't seem to catch them and have had three of our villagers injured when they tried to catch these people." He murmured.

Sakura frowned. Looking around, she could see that all eyes were upon her, and she wondered what she should do in this situation. Well, she supposed that what she needed to do was find out exactly which villages were hit and try to determine if there was some kind of pattern in which the bandits were working in.

When she realized what the bandits were up to, after she looked at a map that had the villages that had been hit marked out, she smiled. Now, she could meet up with them, and demand some answers from them.

At least, that was what her plan had been. When she departed, she quickly made her way though villages, and finally came to a stop in the village she suspected would be the next target. Sure enough, she didn't have long to wait.

Three men came into the village and smirked as they took in their surroundings. Sakura, already unimpressed by the three, followed them silently, and mentally noted that they were not ninja, or if they were, they sucked.

She followed them into a small tavern and quietly took a seat in a dark corner. The men were loud, and were making comments about the young women who were doing their best to ignore them. However, when one of the men grabbed a young girl, who couldn't have been any older than fourteen, Sakura decided that she would step in.

Getting up and gripping the man's wrist in her hand, she allowed her chakra to flow and smiled grimly when she saw the man's pained look. Motioning at the girl to leave, she turned her green eyes to the startled men and quietly asked, "Are you the three assholes who have been terrorizing the villages around here?"

The leader, she supposed, stood up and smirked. "Who wants to know?"

Releasing the other man's wrist, she stood up to her full height and replied, "My name is Haruno Sakura, and I am the ambassador for the villages around here. Now, I will ask only once more, and then, I will get ugly with you. Are you the three who have been terrorizing the villages around here?"

The other two men stood up and towered over her, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were focused on the first man, and widened slightly when she noticed that he had started to release a bit of his own chakra, meaning that she had been mistaken when she thought that they were not ninja.

"Well, shit." Inner Sakura grumbled. "It never can be easy, can it?"

When the three men began to advance on her, Sakura flipped over the table behind her and hefted it up to throw at the men.

But, they were quick, and surrounded her. The first man pulled out a pair of gloves and smiled at her. "Well, it would appear, boys, that we need to teach this little bitch a thing or two about manners. Let's make it a lesson she doesn't soon forget."

Sakura waited with baited breath, and when she felt the man behind her move, she ducked and began a series of hand signals. Finally, she released the newest jutsu that she had learned and allowed several balls of ice to form in her hands.

Throwing them at the men, Sakura took her chance to run from the village when the men began to slip on the ice. She knew that they would follow her, and she needed to get them away from the village, especially before she unleashed her full strength.

As she expected, the men followed her and she winced when she felt something penetrate her shoulder. However, she ignored the pain and made it to a clearing. When she turned to see the men step out of the trees, she smiled and quickly put on her own gloves.

"Ok, boys." She said, her tone sickeningly sweet. "Now we are going to play this game by my rules, and when we are done, you will never want to step foot into valley again."

The men laughed and then launched themselves at her. The fight only lasted for a few minutes, and when it was over, Sakura found that she was tired and that her body was begging for a rest.

Many of the village's occupants came into the clearing and quickly to her side. One of the men lifted her to her feet and quietly asked, "Are you alright, Ambassador?"

Nodding, Sakura said, "I'll be fine. I am heading back to Konoha, and I want these men jailed. Make sure to suppress their chakras. Without that, they are not much of a threat. They are to be held for trial."

The man nodded, and watched as several of the other men surrounded the injured men and began the task of subduing them. When he turned to look at Sakura, he was shocked to see her gone, and that the only indication that she had been there was a single, floating sakura blossom that was slowly floating to the ground.

Reaching out, he allowed the blossom to fall into his hand and smiled. Signaling one of the younger men to him, he ordered the man to run to the head village and inform them that the threat had been dealt with and that the ambassador had left to return to her own village.

Once the messenger had left, he allowed his eyes to harden and stare into the eyes of the leader of the bandits, who had awoken to find himself tied and unable to summon his chakra. Gulping, he shivered a bit and whimpered, "Have mercy?"

* * *

Sakura sagged against a tree and sighed when she saw that she could see the gates that led into Konoha clearly. However, she grimaced when she felt that she had lost all feeling in her hands, and knew it would not be long until she lost consciousness. 

Cursing herself, Sakura knew what had happened. The needle that had found its way into her shoulder was laced with a poison that was designed for its victim to lose feeling in their body, and lose consciousness, but because she was a trained medic, she was able to destroy a good part of the poison, but sadly, not all of it, thus resulting in her current situation.

She just couldn't find the strength, especially after teleporting herself near Konoha, to move, and allowed her body to slide down the tree. As her eyes began to close, she noticed that two blurs were moving quickly towards her and sighed. It was nice to be home.

* * *

Tsunade giggled and lifted her drink to her mouth. After all, she had a lot to celebrate, and winked at the blushing young man a few tables away from her. She realized that all of Konoha's ninjas were in attendance, with the exception of Sakura, and most of them looked happy.

But, it was Naruto's face that froze the smile upon her lips. The young man appeared to be a bit happier than he had in a long time, and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he decided to move on from Sakura and found someone else. But, when he was joined by Kiba and Hinata, she shook her head and thought that the reason for his good mood was probably because the ramen shack had introduced a new flavor that he liked.

However, her good mood died when Iruka burst into the tavern and exclaimed, "Hokage-sama, I need you to come with me right now. You are needed."

"Oh, for heaven's sakes." Tsunade grunted. "What in the hell could be so important that it can't wait?"

Iruka noticed that the music had died and that all eyes were on him. Taking in a deep breath, he explained. "We found Haruno Sakura unconscious by the woods near the gates. Tsunade-sama, she appears to have been attacked and we can't get her to wake up."

Tsunade was out of her seat in a flash, wobbled a bit, and when steady, ran out the door, her blond hair trailing behind her. She didn't know it, but she was being followed by nearly all of the ninja, including a certain blonde ninja, whose heart was racing, and a dark-haired ninja, whose eyes were now red, but hidden underneath his dark bangs.

Sliding to a stop and falling to her knees beside the younger ninja, Tsunade quickly looked the girl over and when she was satisfied that her injuries were not life-threatening, she took Sakura's hand in her own and loudly said, "Sakura! Sakura, I need you to open your eyes and look at me."

When the younger woman didn't respond, Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she quickly looked the girl over once more and then sighed in relief at her findings. Patting the young woman's hand, she glanced over her shoulder at the large group behind her and said, "She'll be fine. It's a very gentle poison, designed for rendering the victim unconscious, but with no after-effects. After some sleep, she'll be good as new."

Kakashi moved forward and quickly picked his former student, now friend, up. He was about to walked towards the village, but a loud voice snarled, "Get your fucking hands off of her! Right now!"

The crowd parted, and revealed an angered Nachito Akumitsa walking towards him. It was clear that the old man still didn't think highly of him, but he was determined not to let the old man goad him into another verbal match.

"She needs to be at home, in her own bed. She needs to recover her chakra, and I intend on seeing to it that she does it comfortably." Kakashi said, his tone smooth.

Akumitsa was not impressed. Oh, he really hated this man, who clearly was trying to make up for the past by caring for her now. Well, too little, too late.

"I don't have any objection to her being taken home. I do, however, have an objection to you being the one to take her home." He sneered, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

Seeing his chance, Sasuke stepped forward, but stopped when Hyuuga Neji stepped forward with Hinata behind him, and quietly said, "Now is not the time for this. Let us take her home. Besides, she is comfortable with Hinata, and it will be best if it is Hinata who undresses her and cares for her wounds."

Kakashi nodded, and placed the younger woman in the arms of the Hyuuga prodigy. When the cousins disappeared, he turned and quietly said, "I know that I have made some very serious errors, especially concerning Sakura, but I do care for her. I would never allow anyone to harm her, and would give anything to change the past, but I can't. I know that I've failed, and even though she has said that she thinks that I am a good sensei, I have a lot to make up for. So, I will do that in my own way, with or without your blessings, but you are not going to keep me away from her, and if you do, I will not walk away from fighting you."

Akumitsa crossed his arms and snapped, "Gee, if only you thought this way when she was younger, then she wouldn't have turned out the way she had. I don't know what kicked her in the ass to change her ways, but whatever it was, it was a good thing, and if I think, for even a second, that you are trying to undermine all of her hard work, or take credit for it, I won't let you walk away. I'll kill you before you can even attempt to call upon your chakra, but boy, I don't need chakra to kill you off. Ninja in my day relied on themselves, and were stronger for it. You are not in my class, nor are you in hers."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow and then in true fashion, allowed his eye to crinkle and cheerfully said, "Well, I guess that also means that you are not responsible for how she turned out either, thank goodness. One grouchy asshole in the village is enough without making another one who had superhuman strength to go with it."

Before the older ninja could reply, Kakashi reached behind him and whipped out his book, which told everyone that the copy ninja was done with the conversation. The old man glared at the younger man, but then turned and began to walk away. However, the corner of his mouth quirked up and a smirk.

Finally, the copy ninja understood.

* * *

Once Hinata and Neji arrived at Sakura's apartment, it had taken a couple of moments, but she finally found the key and quickly let them into the apartment.

Neji allowed Hinata to direct him towards the bathroom, and gently set Sakura down into the tub. Nodding at his cousin, he quickly left the room, closing the door behind him, and she got to work on undressing Sakura and then bathing her battered body.

Wincing at the deep injury to her friend's shoulder, Hinata washed Sakura's hair, and body, and was careful to clean the areas that were bruised and would need to be bandaged.

Once done, she placed a large towel over Sakura and called for Neji. When he arrived, she blushed and quickly said, "I need you to carry her into her bedroom, so that I can dry and dress her."

The male Hyuuga blushed, but did as he was asked, and silently said a prayer of thanks for the towel not slipping while she was in his arms. Once he was out of the room, he let out the breath he had been holding and shook his head. How Naruto could stay away from her, especially now, was beyond him.

Everyone knew how the young man felt about her, but was purposely staying away from her, mostly out of pride. But, what the man didn't know was that on a few occasions, he had seen Naruto following the young ambassador, and had tried his best to gain her attention by altering his daily routine so that he could, conveniently, bump into her.

Neji snorted at just how stupid the man was being, in his opinion. If he was in Naruto's place, he would have put Sakura in hers, long ago. And, if it had been him, he wouldn't settle for gazing at her from afar, but rather, she would be in his arms with a firm understanding that the only hand raised by either of them would be loving.

However, he had decided long ago on another, and was currently waiting for the right moment to make his move, and Kami help a certain green-clad male if he got in the way.

When the door to the bedroom finally opened, Hinata stepped out and bit her lip. "I am not comfortable with leaving her. Do you suppose I should stay here, with her?" She asked, and turned her eyes to look into a pair that were an identical match for her own.

Neji shook his head and gently said, "No, I think that we need to let her be. We will come back in the morning to check on her, and if she is not awake, we will deal with the situation then. She is used to being alone, and I think that to have someone invade her personal space, and seeing her in a weakened state, would upset her."

Hinata sighed and nodded her head in defeat. She knew that he was right, but that didn't stop her from worrying. But, she followed her cousin out of the door and quietly closed it behind her, locking the door and pocketing the key. After all, she did need a way to get into the apartment in the morning.

* * *

"You can come down now. Everyone is gone." Kakashi said, his voice soft. When the young man dropped down before him, the copy ninja glanced up and shook his head.

"As much as I'd love to know what in the hell happened, I don't think that she will be waking up any time soon to answer questions." He said, knowing full well what the young man was thinking.

Scowling, Naruto glared at the ground and snapped, "What if baa-chan is wrong? What if there is something wrong with her, and no one see it, and she ends up dying in the middle of the night?"

Lifting a silver eyebrow, Kakashi asked, "What happened to you not caring about her? I thought that she was too violent for you to handle."

With eyes flashing, Naruto was up in his former sensei's face quicker than the older man could blink. "That isn't any of your fucking business." He snapped.

"I see." Kakashi mused. "If you still care for her, then tell her. What if she did die, and you never told her? Could you live with yourself knowing that you could have brought her comfort in knowing that she had you, and instead, she died believing that you hated her?"

Growling, a hand ran though bright, blonde hair, but then a weary sigh escaped him and he plopped to the ground.

"You know, a couple of weeks ago, I could have told you that I never wanted to see her again, but ever since baa-chan's meeting, when she offered to be the escort, she seemed different, and I began to see a side of her that I have never seen before." Naruto softly said. "Kakashi, I do love her. I think that I always have and always will, but I am so damned angry at her for hitting me, and belittling me that I just can't bring myself to make the move necessary to move on from this stale-mate that we have going."

Nodding, Kakashi sat down beside the young man and calmly said, "Even if you don't tell her that you love her, would you be able to live with the knowledge that she died knowing that you didn't care for her, even as a friend? I must tell you...it's a large load to carry, and will be with you for the rest of your life, even if do you find another woman to love."

Naruto didn't speak, but did whip his head to stare at the man when he calmly asked, "Or, could you live with the sight of seeing her in someone else's arms and walk away, just because she believed it was what you wanted?"

"What in the hell do you mean by that?" Naruto thundered, his voice echoing throughout the forest behind them.

"I mean," Kakashi explained, "That Sakura is a beautiful woman, who is now holding a large amount of power, and will be irresistible to many men, Sasuke included, especially since his engagement to Ino is dangerously close to being called off."

Naruto's mouth hung open and he shook his head in disbelief. "Sasuke wouldn't...he couldn't." He said, though it came out unsure.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book. This was going to take a while, it seemed. "Yes, he would, and he will. Ever since he killed his brother, Sasuke's new goal is to reestablish his clan, and he is going to want someone who can match him in power and in status. Sakura already had the power, but now, she has the status to match. Being the ambassador to valley has strengthened her in the eyes of this village, and her word is taken pretty strongly. In fact, she is considered a very hot prospect by the noble bachelors of this village, and words is spreading like wildfire about her to other villages, and at the gala, she will be looked at and approached.

Sasuke chose Hinata, at first, because of her status, and then, when he had no one left, he chose Ino. However, I think that if she hadn't been so violent, Sasuke would have chosen Sakura, simply because he can be in a room with her for longer than ten minutes without wanting to kill her, and Ino would never have been considered. So, I can only assume that he is having serious thoughts about her, and will consider her as the best choice to bear him the children he desires. His sharingan and her strength combined would make some very powerful offspring."

Naruto silently cursed himself when he realized that he never considered that Sakura could be approached by other men. He didn't want to watch other guys approach her, and try to seduce her. He'd probably end up killing someone if they so much as kissed her.

Kakashi patted him on his back. "I really don't think that you have too much to worry about, at least not right now. Sakura isn't in the right frame of mind to seek out someone else to love and I doubt that she is over you. So, you have time, but take some friendly advice...don't wait too long. If you do, then you only have yourself and your pride to blame." He said.

Before Naruto could snap out a reply, the copy ninja was gone, and he was alone. Cursing under his breath, he got up and began to walk. But, when his feet stopped, he glanced up in surprise, and found himself in front of Sakura's building.

Glancing around to see if anyone was watching, he took in a deep breath and jumped until he came to her balcony. Knowing that she never locked the sliding door, he quietly let himself in and frowned when he heard soft noises coming from her bedroom.

What if Kakashi had been right, and Sasuke found his own way to Sakura's bed? What if Sakura awoke to find the former avenger in her home, and decided that it was time to move on from him? If so, then he would need to move on, and not look back, though the thought hurt.

Quietly, he made his way to her bedroom, and allowed his hand to slowly, quietly turn the knob. When the door opened, his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and found that Sakura was alone, in her bed, and from the looks of things, she was in the middle of a nightmare.

He made his way over to her bedside, and watched as tears streamed down her face, and winced when she whimpered. For once, that place inside of him that cheered when he saw her pain was silent, and his heart was thundering in his chest.

But, it was when she began to sob when he finally took action. Sitting down beside her, he allowed his hand to brush her bangs from her face and whispered, "Sakura, it's ok. You'll be alright."

His voice seemed to comfort her slightly, but not enough to stop her tears. He slipped his hand underneath her head and brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "I'm here. You're safe, I promise."

As he lifted his hand away from her forehead, he froze when she brokenly whispered, "Please."

He took in a deep breath, and was about to place his hand back upon her forehead, but stopped again when she brokenly whispered, "Please, don't go. Don't leave. Everyone always leaves."

When the words slipped past her lips, she began to cry again, and her entire body shook from the force. His eyes narrowed, and he wondered if the poison was more potent than baa-chan had stated. However, he shook the thought out of his head and bent down to yank off his sandals.

Then, he slid onto the bed and moved so that one of his arms were underneath her head, while the other held her closely to him. For a while, all that could be heard was her sobs and broken, unintelligible whispers, while he did his best to comfort her.

Finally, when her shaking and crying began to tapper off, he looked down into her face and felt his breath leave him as he watched the shadows dance across her face. Despite her crying and the fact that she was clearly sick from the poison, she was still beautiful.

And so, he sat there, beside her, all night and watched over her, helping her fight the demons that plagued her when she slept, and when morning finally came, he was relived to see that she had stopped sweating and had snuggled into his embrace.

Feeling her so close to him, he couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to fall asleep with her in his arms, without anything clouding their judgment or standing between them.

But, as the sun's rays lit up the room, he quietly sighed and knew that all things must come to an end. Besides, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do about the situation, and hadn't intended on staying the night with her. He didn't want her to wake up with him in her bed, and think that something had gone on, even though it had not, nor did he want to give her false hope.

Carefully, he removed himself from the bed, and watched as she moaned and then turned over so that her back was facing him. His eyes widened when he realized that she didn't have a shirt on, meaning that he had held her, and her bare chest had been pressed up against him, and he didn't even notice.

However, he needed to leave before she awoke, and so, he grabbed his sandals and quietly left the room, closing the door quietly and left the way he came. Once he was outside, he put his sandals on, and then looked back up at her balcony.

"Sweet dreams, Sakura."

* * *

This last fight had been nasty. In fact, it got so bad that Sasuke finally told her that he didn't desire to marry her any longer, and to her shock, she found that she didn't care. She didn't care that she wouldn't become the Uchiha matriarch, nor did she care what people would think about her when they learned that she had been dumped, or in her view, released from prison.

She went home and calmly told her father that her wedding was off, and was shocked when her father slid down in his seat and said, "Thank Kami. Now things can get back to normal."

When morning came, it found her snuggled within the embrace of one Nara Shikamaru, and to say that she was happy would be an understatement.

After the conversation with her father, she decided that she was going for a walk. She ended up at Shika's apartment, and when he invited her in, she stepped through the door, and quickly found herself pressed up against the door and being kissed within an inch of her life.

When she told him that her engagement was off, the young man silently nodded and lowered his head to allow his lips to stroke hers lazily. When she tried to take the kiss further, he leaned back, smirked and softly said, "You're so troublesome."

Many would call him lazy. She, however, would call him thorough. So thorough, in fact, that he had her screaming his name over and over again as the night progressed, and when she awoke, she found that her throat was sore and the one who caused it was proudly smirking.

However, as she laid in Shika's arms, she couldn't help but wonder what Sasuke would do now. She was pretty sure that he knew that he would have to find another date for the upcoming gala, and she would be on Shika's arm, even though he had bitched about having to go when she told him about it. But, her thoughts wandered towards Sakura and if her friend would allow the Uchiha to escort her now that he was a free man.

While she didn't know what Sakura felt for the young man anymore, she was sure that Sakura wouldn't make things easy for him. If it was one things she knew, Haruno Sakura wasn't the type to forget those who snubbed her, nor was she the type to forgive so easily.

But, that also meant that she, too, would have to work especially hard to get back into Sakura's good graces, and she would make sure that, this time, her estranged friend knew that she would never turn her back to her again.

To Ino, it seemed that her dreams were coming true, and instead of it being the boy she had desired when she was a girl, it turned out to be the man beside her whom she desired as a woman. It was a nice feeling.

* * *

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist as he watched his former teammate walk away. It was clear to him that the blonde man had spent the night in Sakura's apartment, but from the looks of things, nothing happened. If it had, the man would be wearing a grin that would have split his face.

Allowing his eyes to move back over to Sakura's balcony, he was about to jump onto it and enter the apartment, but a soft voice stopped him.

"Don't even think about it, Uchiha."

* * *

Theme for this chapter is...

_Hush now dont cry  
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye  
Youre lying safe in bed  
It was all a bad dream  
Spinning in your head  
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain  
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life  
So here it is, another chance  
Wide awake you face the day  
Your dream is over...or has it just begun? _

Queensrych-silent lucidity 


	6. Painful Reminders

Sasuke smirked. "Shouldn't your mistress have you on a leash?" He sneered and turned to face the young man.

Neji looked unimpressed with the Uchiha's words and quietly said, "She loves Naruto, though Kami knows why, and I am not going to let you fly in and confuse her just so you can use her genes to create your precious, little heirs."

Snarling, Sasuke moved forward and was quickly thrown back. Clutching his side, he narrowed his eyes and wondered what the hell had just happened. The man before him had managed to hit him, yet now looked as if he had not moved. A sound drew his attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Hinata and Kiba standing on Sakura's balcony.

Hinata's hands were covering her mouth, while Kiba simply glared up at them. "Yo! You need any help up there, Neji?" He yelled.

The Hyuuga prodigy simply shook his head and said, "Hinata, check on your friend. Kiba, watch over both of them while I deal with our uninvited guest."

Kiba nodded and followed his woman back into the apartment. As he closed the sliding door, he grinned. Oh, yeah. The gossip-mongers were going to have a field day with this.

Neji watched as his companions did as they were told, then turned his eyes to Sasuke, who was currently glaring at him.

"You protect Hinata, not Sakura." Sasuke spat, his eyes flashing from dark to red. "I am part of her team, and responsible for watching over her. Don't interfere."

"And what of your friend, Naruto?" Neji asked, his tone sharp. "Don't you care that you will end up hurting him if you go after Sakura? And, what about your engagement to Ino, or is she old news?"

"Ino and I are no longer together. The engagement is off, and I am a free man." Sasuke countered. "As for Naruto, well, if he is stupid enough to let her go, then he can't get angry if I pick her up."

Neji's lip curled in disgust. "You are a true bastard, you know that?" He snapped, his calm demeanor gone.

"Yeah, so I've been told." He replied, smugly. "Give Sakura my love and tell her that I'll talk to her at the gala. Make sure she knows to save a dance for me."

Before he could reply, the Uchiha was gone in a cloud of smoke, leaving Neji's temper to simmer.

"What a dick."

* * *

Sakura felt a cool hand on her forehead and managed to pry her eyes open a bit. Hinata's face came into view, and she tried to smile, but couldn't seem to get her facial muscles to work. That did it. When she was better, she was attending that damn trial and kicking the shit out of the one who hit her with that fucking needle.

"Hi, there. You had us all worried, Sakura." Hinata whispered, as she wiped the sweat off of Sakura's forehead with a cool cloth.

When she realized that Sakura would need more time to recover, she nodded and softly asked, "Do you need the bathroom? I'm sure that together, we can get you in there."

When she saw Sakura's eyes light up, she began to pull the woman up, and arranged her so that Sakura were leaning against her.

After a few awkward moments and near falls, they found themselves in the bathroom, where Hinata helped Sakura clean up. Once they were finished, once again, they found themselves struggling to get back to the bed, and when they got to the bed, Sakura found herself face down on the mattress with Hinata on top of her.

"Whoa! Babe, I don't think that kind of healing is the kind that is going to help Sakura feel better." Kiba said, his large hand over his eyes.

Hinata turned her head and blushed a bright crimson, then squeaked when Sakura began to struggle beneath her.

"Oh, Sakura. I'm so sorry. I lost my footing." Hinata said, and quickly got the woman back on the bed and under the covers.

Kiba could not help grinning, but he didn't dare say anything that would get him in trouble with his precious Hinata. It was clear that she was embarrassed, and Sakura, well, she was too tired to be embarrassed about anything.

"Alright, Kiba. You can turn around now." Hinata softly said as she stared down at the floor. A bright blush painted her porcelain cheeks, and he couldn't help but be charmed by her.

"I dropped her." Hinata said, her voice soft. She felt Kiba's hands on her shoulders and looked up into his soft eyes.

"You should have called for help. Akamaru could have carried her on his back for you. Neither of us want you straining yourself." Kiba scolded, only to be followed by a light bark from his beloved boy.

Hinata smiled, and then giggled when Sakura grumbled, "You know, I can hear everything you are saying and don't appreciate being spoken about like I am a sack of potatoes."

The couple turned and Kiba reached behind his head and scratched as he laughed. "Sorry, Sakura. How are you feeling?" He asked, and led Hinata over to the side of Sakura's bed so that she could sit beside her friend.

"Tired." Sakura mumbled. "Tired and sore."

"Well, after the shape you were found it, I'm not surprised." Neji said, as he strolled into the room. When Kiba and Hinata glanced up at him, he simply shook his head. Sakura didn't need to know that she had the Uchiha sniffing after her, especially not now.

Hinata smiled and said, "Tsunada-sama asked us to bring you something that will ease any discomfort that you have. She is also requesting to have those three men that you caught brought here to Konoha for trial, seeing as how you are a resident and the ambassador for Konoha."

Sakura frowned. She didn't want a lot of fuss over her, nor did she want any additional attention. She got hurt. Big freaking deal. Ninjas got hurt everyday, and she was still a ninja, so it was expected.

Neji returned with a cup from her kitchen and quietly handed it to her. Wrinkling her nose, she managed to drink the entire thing down without it making a return appearance. Once she was done, Hinata took the cup from her and placed it on the nightstand before quietly saying, "We are going to come by a little later on to check on you, but for now, Akamaru is going to stay with you, just in case."

"Just in case of what?" Sakura asked, though it came out slightly slurred.

"To keep unwanted visitors away." Neji replied, and shot a look at his companions that told them not to say another word.

Shrugging, Sakura decided to let the issue drop, for now, and allowed the medicine to work. She heard the voices in her room soften, and then felt someone, most likely Hinata, tuck the covers around her body, then she heard the door close.

As darkness began to surround her, she could hear inner Sakura crying out for the one they loved.

Naruto. 

* * *

It had been a couple of days since he held her, but Naruto could not stop thinking about how good it had felt to just be with her. For the first time in a long time, he had been at peace, even though she had not.

He thought about many things in the last two days, but the one thought that always came to the front was how she was doing. He couldn't go to Hinata and ask, mostly because he knew that Sakura and Hinata were good friends, and he didn't want to put Hinata in the position as a go-between.

No, if he was going to work things out, then he would do it on his terms. However, he would make damn sure that Sakura knew that she was never to hit him, or belittle him again, or else he would walk away, and this time, he would not look back; feelings be damned.

But, when he thought of Sakura, he would hear Kakashi's words echo throughout his mind about Sasuke going after Sakura and he could not help but feel slightly angered over that. For years, Sasuke told Sakura that she was annoying and that he would never have anything to do with her other than be her teammate, but now that she gained power and status within Konoha, he was suddenly interested.

Sure, he knew that other men liked Sakura, but didn't approach her out of respect for him. Hell, half of the village knew that he still cared for her and were simply watching to see if and when they would reunite.

Sasuke, too, knew how he felt, but would still go after her, just because he could. As a kid, he was a prick, as an adult, he was an even bigger prick.

He supposed that somethings never change. 

* * *

It was a couple of days before she felt well enough to leave her apartment. She needed to shop for food, and was grateful to Hinata for bringing her meals. But, now that she could actually be on her feet for more than a few minutes, she wasn't going to waste her time sitting at home.

The market place was busy, and she smiled as she anticipated a nice day of shopping and relaxing. As she went from store to store, she noticed that many people were smiling at her, and several asked her about how she was feeling. It was nice to not be ignored.

She decided that for her last stop, she would get some fruits. She had been craving apples, for some reason, and her mouth watered at the thought of biting into a nice red one. As she walked, she was surprised to see Ino and Shikamaru together, and from the way they were acting, it was clear that they were more than just friends.

Luckily for her, they didn't see her, and she went on her way. Finally, she spotted a large cart with apples, and quickly made her way over to it. Reaching out, her fingers touched the fruit as the same time that another pair of fingers did.

Pulling her hand back, Sakura felt her breath leave her as she stared into a pair of bright blue eyes. The familiar pain hit her, and for a moment, she was scared that she might pass out, or worse, throw up. Quickly, she moved back a bit, and quietly said, "You can have it."

Without another word, she turned and quickly walked the way she came, never noticing the blue eyes following her or how his mouth frowned. Instead, she simply wanted to go home, and lock herself away from this heartache. 

* * *

He didn't mean to bump into her. In fact, he had just finished training with Jiraiya-sensei and decided to get a snack to tide him over until he got to the ramen shack. He didn't even notice her until he reached out and touched her fingers as they both went after the same apple.

To say he was stunned was an understatement. He was so stunned that he couldn't even manage to say two words to her, and because of it, she took his silence as his way of telling her that he wasn't pleased to have run into her.

"You can have it." She had said, and just as his wits finally surfaced, she had turn and left, her pretty pink hair flowing gently behind her.

Now, as he looked down at the apple in his hand, he knew that it was growing harder and harder for him to keep this grudge. Hell, if he were to be honest with himself, he had stopped holding that grudge against her the day he and Kakashi talked.

But, he wasn't going to chase after her. After all, he did have his pride. If Sakura wanted to fix things with him so badly, she would have to come to him, despite what he had told her that day she had found him on the training grounds.

Still, he couldn't help but admit that it had been nice to touch her again, even if it was just for a second.

Shaking his head, he paid for the apple and bit into it as he made his way to lunch. He knew that things would work out for him. They always did in the end. 

* * *

Sighing, she shook her head as inner Sakura muttered that she should have stood there and made him listen to her. Instead, she knew that she did the right thing and left. After all, she was the one who had committed the crime against him. She was simply following through with her word to leave him alone, though the sight of him earlier had not made it easy.

In fact, it was all that she could do not to throw herself at his feet and beg him to forgive her. But, she already had his answer, and so, wouldn't impose on him again.

So, as she allowed herself a nice, little pity party, she was dismayed when a knock was heard on her door. Muttering underneath her breath, she walked to the door and opened it, expecting to find Hinata, or even Neji there. But, she didn't see anyone. Great. Someone was playing games.

But, as she was about to close the door, she looked down and was shocked to see a large bag filled with bright, red apples.

Bending down, she hoisted the bag up and hugged it to her chest before looking around to see if anyone was watching her. When she couldn't detect anyone, she turned and walked back inside.

Smiling, she set the bag down and carefully pulled out the apples, hoping that whomever gave them to her had left a note. To her dismay, she found that besides the apples, the bag was empty.

Sighing, she carefully arranged the apples in a bowl, and when finished, stepped back to admire her work. Happy with the bowl, she eagerly took the top apple and bit into it, her eyes closed to savor the sweet taste.

But, her moment of joy was shattered when she heard another knock at her door. Rolling her eyes, she walked over and yanked the door open, and was surprised to see Tsunade-sensei standing there.

"May I come in?" She asked, her tone even. When she got a nod, she walked into the apartment and noticed how tidy Sakura's home was, though it didn't surprise her.

Sitting down and motioning for her student to do the same, she got right to the point. "I have received word that the three who are responsible for terrorizing valley are going to be brought here for trial. I shall be expecting you to be there, Sakura." She said.

Nodding, Sakura asked, "What will the charges against them be?"

"The most important, of course, is the attack upon you. Valley and Konoha will not tolerate any kind of attack upon the representative for our villages. They will also be facing charges of theft, and menacing for what they have been doing in valley. The charges are very serious, and they will be seeing a lot of jail time for it" Tsunade replied.

For several moments, Sakura was quiet. Finally, she said, "I want valley to be part of this trial. It is only right that they be allowed to decide both guilt and punishment, seeing as how it was their villages that were hurt. I'll heal, but it was their crops and their goods that were destroyed."

Nodding, Tsunade smiled. "Now I can see just why they love you in valley. You look out for their well-being and put yours second. Very well, your request is granted. I will inform valley to send their representatives."

Sakura watched as her sensei stood and quickly followed her to the door. When the woman opened it, she turned and asked, "What did Sasuke want, Sakura?"

"Sasuke?" Sakura replied, confused. "I don't know. I didn't see him."

Now it was Tsunade's turn to look confused. "I ran into him right as I was coming into your building. He didn't say much, but he looked quite pleased with himself." She said, but then shook her head and laughed. "Ah, who knows what is going on in his mind. Now that he and Ino's wedding is off, I guess he is trying to screw up the nerve to talk to you. Anyways, I am leaving. Have a good night, Sakura."

Waving at her sensei, she quietly closed the door and frowned. Sasuke and Ino were no longer engaged? Geez, she really was out of the loop.

But, if Sasuke was coming out of her building when Tsunade-sensei was coming in, did that mean that it was him who brought her the apples? And, if he did, why?

Biting her lip, her eyes turned towards the bowl, but instead of seeing the apples, it was a face that she saw. It was the face of a dream she had viciously killed. Suddenly, she didn't like apples, anymore.

* * *

Smirking, Sasuke walked down the street and silently congratulated himself for such a good idea. He, too, had been in the marketplace, and had seen Sakura and Naruto reaching for the same apple. When the dobe walked away, the apple in his hand, he decided to buy her a bag of apples, and would reveal at the gala that he was the one who had left her the bag, and he would be the one to reap the rewards.

This had been one of his better plans, and now that he had decided that he would approach Sakura, he would not let anyone stand in his way, including Naruto, feelings be damned.

As he walked past the gates that led to the Uchiha compound, he could already hear the laughter of children and knew that his future would be filled with joy as he watched his and Sakura's offspring grow into strong, powerful ninjas.

Then, he would finally know happiness.

* * *

Theme for this chapter is...

_Love, like a road that never ends  
How it leads me back again  
To heartache  
I'll never understand  
Darling, I put my heart up on a shelf  
Til the moment was right, and I told myself_

The next time I fall in love  
I'll know better what to do

Peter Cetera and Amy Grant...next time I fall


	7. The First Step

A/N: This chapter holds characters that will seem very familiar, if you read IY. So, please enjoy and review.

* * *

The gala was quickly approaching, but to Sakura, it was as if she were waiting to be executed. She really didn't want to go, and had tried a few times to get Tsunade-sensei to excuse her, but the older woman wasn't hearing any of it.

In fact, she had told Sakura that she wanted her there, bright and early, so that she could be introduced to all of the nobles from the surrounding villages. Many of the villages had approached her to establish some kind of alliance with Konoha, mostly because of what valley had told them about Sakura and the improvements that she helped make on their behalf.

It was also rumored that a lord from one of the more prosperous villages was anxious to meet Sakura, and that he would be arriving with a small group of his advisers, and had requested to be at the upcoming trial.

Personally, she wasn't interested in meeting him. In fact, she was more interested in staying home, in bed, and reading a book. Sadly, that was not an option.

Hinata informed her that she would be in attendance, along with Kiba, Neji, and to her shock, Naruto. She explained that all three men would be her guests, and that it was tradition for a female Hyuuga to be escorted by chaperons. Grinning, she said that she couldn't wait to dance with Kiba, just because it was funny to watch the dog ninja try to maneuver around the other couples, and when he did run into someone, he had this cute blush that made her knees shake.

Sakura knew a woman in love when she saw one, and after listening to Hinata speak, she knew that without Kiba, Hinata would be lost. In fact, it seemed to her that Hinata's love for the dog ninja were even stronger than what she had felt for Naruto.

But, seeing the happy couple, as sweet as it was, together, it made her think of what could have been and would have been had she not done the things that she did. Each night, she would sit and stare out her window, imagining a life where she and Naruto were happy together, and perhaps, living a life filled with love, laughter, and children.

Ah, who was she kidding? She knew that there would be no laughter from small blonde or pink haired kids, no hugging after a long day in the field, and no hand-holding when the nights were quiet and the only thing to do was be with each other. She would have to quit dreaming about what could have been, and start thinking towards what could be.

Perhaps she would go to this gala and enjoy herself. Hopefully, this lord who wanted to meet her wouldn't turn out to be a creep, and perhaps she could enjoy herself. Who knows? This might actually be the start of a new life.

A life without Naruto.

* * *

He laughed as he listened to Kiba joking around with Hinata. The woman was too easy to embarrass. But, when they finally settled down, Hinata got right to business.

"As you three know, you will be my personal escorts." She said, and smiled down at her cousin. "Neji, are you alright with letting Kiba escort me?"

The stoic Hyuuga male nodded. "I approve of him and have no problems with him being the one to escort you. Naruto and I will simply be back-up." He murmured.

Sighing happily, she turned her eyes over to her friend and softly asked, "You seem to be in a better mood. Is everything well with you?"

Naruto bit his lip, but then decided on telling her how he felt. "I've decided to let things drop between me and Sakura. I know that she feels badly, but maybe it's time to move on and start new, you know?" He said, grinning.

Neji and Kiba looked at each other, both male's frowns quickly telling their companions that something was wrong. Naruto shifted uncomfortably and then snapped, "What?"

Kiba got right to the point. "When Sakura was found unconscious, Neji and Hinata took her home." He said, and saw Naruto nod. "The next morning, I joined them as they went over to Sakura's apartment to see how she was doing, and Neji spotted Uchiha Sasuke on a rooftop, and it looked as if he was about to jump to Sakura's balcony and enter her apartment."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Naruto exclaimed, his blue eyes narrowing in anger. Damn it, Kakashi was right and he hadn't wanted to believe it. "What happened?"

"What happened was that I turned him away and we left Akamaru with Sakura. Kiba ordered him to guard over her and to get rid of unwanted visitors." Neji replied, his tone bored. "As he was leaving, he told me to give Sakura his love and to save a dance for him."

With his fist clenched, Naruto gritted out, "I'll give him love. I'll shove my ever-loving fist down his fucking throat."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "Let's not get worked up, here." She said. "I don't believe that she has any feelings for him, and I think that she is still trying to get past losing you."

Settling back in his seat, he glanced over at Hinata. "I wasn't going to ask this of you, but could you talk to Sakura for me, and just see if she still has feelings for me?" He asked, his eyes wide and hopeful. "If she does, would you tell her to try and talk to me, or at least get her to meet me somewhere so that I can talk with her?"

Hinata smiled and quickly nodded her head. Finally, her friends were finding their way back to each other, and if they needed her to help, then so be it. She could not wait to talk to Sakura.

* * *

The day of the gala finally arrived, and it was in the morning that Sakura found out that the trial of the three whom she fought in valley would be the next day, seeing as how the other villages would also be in attendance.

Valley had been thrilled to be involved in the trial, and were anxious to make them pay for their crimes. The elder came to visit her and promised that his wife was going to treat her to a dinner fit for a king. Inner Sakura screamed in horror as she plastered on a smile and nodded. She could already feel her stomach churning.

But, as she sat in her living room with Hinata, Tenten, Ino, and Temari, who had arrived the previous day with her brothers from Suna, and they were all getting ready together. Temari smirked and looked over at Sakura.

"I hear that you've gone and made quite a name for yourself." She said. "Good for you. Even in Suna, we've heard about all you've done for valley. Gaara has been attempting to gain an alliance with them for a long time, so don't be surprised if he approaches you and asks you to speak to him."

Nodding, Sakura looked down at her hands, and then glanced up when Ino and Tenten began to laugh. Finally, the girls quieted down and Ino said, "Guess what Lee is going to be wearing tonight."

When she was met in silence, she glanced over at Tenten, who blushed and said, "He got himself a tux. A green tux."

The women broke out into laughter. It was no secret that Lee held a lot of affection for the color green. His mentor, Gai, held the same affection.

As their conversation varied about different topics, Hinata decided to bring up Naruto. Clearing her throat, she softly said, "Neji gave Kiba permission to escort me at the gala, while he and Naruto did their duty as bodyguards."

She felt Sakura stiffen at the mention of the blonde's name, and looked up to see the other three women glaring at her. However, she wasn't going to back down. "Sakura, perhaps it is time that you tried again to speak to him. He seems to have calmed down."

Sakura looked at her reflection in the mirror and then closed her eyes. She could feel the familiar clenching of her heart and quietly said, "He has calmed down because I am not near him. No, the time for talking is over, Hinata. I made sure of it, and now have to pay the price. That's why, I've made a decision."

Ino, Tenten, and Temari stared at her, while Hinata continued to carefully arrange her hair. Taking a deep breath, Sakura said, "I am going to take Tsunade's advice and try to enjoy myself tonight. She keeps telling me that a lord is wanting to meet with me and is quite interested in me. Who knows, maybe he'll do Naruto a favor and sweep me off my feet."

Hinata bit her lip. Ok, this wasn't going the way she planned. But, before she could open her mouth, Ino moved closer and said, "I say that you should enjoy yourself. You have earned it, and deserve to be happy. Besides, this lord might be a cutie."

The three women before them laughed, but Hinata was lost in her thoughts. This was bad. Really, really bad.

* * *

Sakura gulped and stared at her reflection in the mirror. There was no way in hell she could go out in something like this. The dress, the one that Hinata had picked out for her, was a creamy ivory, that hugged her body and showed off everything she had to offer. The dress was strapless, and showed off her tanned skin to perfection. A slit in the side of the dress allowed her to move without restricting her, so she would be able to dance without any problems.

But, she was simply not used to dressing in such ways. In fact, she felt very exposed and wondered if she were making a mistake. She'd have to kill Hinata later.

However, before she could find something else to wear, she heard a knock at her door and groaned. Damn it, now she really would have to kill Hinata. The fates must love to laugh at her.

Sighing, she moved towards the door and opened it, and found a very handsome Kakashi standing in her doorway, dressed in his ANBU uniform.

The man gave her an eye crinkle and then casually said, "Every ANBU member, past and present, must attend and be in uniform, unless they are part of the noble crowd."

Nodding, she figured that having ANBU around was due to the fact that so many dignitaries were going to be in the same place and they didn't want any violence to occur.

When he bowed to her and offered his arm, she took it and allowed him to lead her out the door. He waited patiently for her to lock it and then softly said, "You look beautiful, Sakura. I have no doubt that you will make a lasting impression tonight."

She gave him a shaky grin, and let him lead her into the night. If things went well, maybe she'd be home before her favorite show came on. 

* * *

Laughter rang through the large hall as people began to arrive for the event that Konoha had been waiting for. Men and women were dressed to perfection as they passed by ANBU soldiers and into the ballroom.

When they entered, Sakura could feel her heart leaping into her throat and grasped on tighter to Kakashi's arm. The older man glanced down and saw that she had gone pale. Patting her hand, he whispered, "It will be ok, Sakura. If you need me, just ask one of the ANBU, and they will come and get me."

She nodded and allowed him to lead her over to where Tsunade was laughing with several men. Already her mentor had hit the booze and was currently flirting. But, she stopped when she saw Sakura being led over to her by Kakashi, and she grinned.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." She said, and motioned for Shizune to follow her. "Konoha's ambassador has arrived.

Quickly, she made her way over to Sakura and nodded at Kakashi, who let go of Sakura's arm and disappeared into the crowd. Smiling down at her student, Tsunade whispered, "Want something to calm your nerves?"

Shaking her head, Sakura muttered, "I doubt that you'd let me go home to get it, so no."

"Ah, still nervous." Tsunade replied, and patted Sakura's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

As Tsunade led her through the crowd, she introduced Sakura to many different elders from villages who were interested in creating an alliance with them. She was quickly growing bored with listening to her sensei flirt with every available man, but was saved when she was approached by the last person she had expected, even though she had been warned that he wanted to speak to her.

"Ambassador, might I have a word with you?" Gaara asked, though from the sound of his tone, it was more of an order than a request.

Thankful to get away from her sensei, Sakura followed the new kazekage and slid into the seat he offered to her once they got to his table. Sakura was not surprised to see Temari and Kankuro there.

The kazekage didn't bother to mince words. He got right to the point, something that she was grateful for. "I want to join in the alliance that Konoha has with valley. Joining in will give Suna opportunities that have never before been offered and now that there is a like to them, I would request that you speak on my behalf." He said, his tone flat.

Lifting her eyebrow, she glanced over at Temari, who mouthed, "Told you so." to her, and then glanced back at Gaara. Finally, she asked, "I understand that some of your med ninjas have found some new plants that have aided in making antidotes for poisons. Would Suna be willing to share this new information with Konoha and valley?"

Gaara nodded sharply. "On the condition that the information stay within the alliance." He replied.

Sakura stood up, and watched as Gaara and Kankuro stood up, as well. "I will take your request to valley, and speak on your behalf. Would you be available tomorrow afternoon, perhaps around four?" She asked.

Gaara nodded and bowed slightly to her, when she smiled and turned to leave. As his eyes followed her, Kankuro leaned over and whispered, "It would appear that our little brother has a crush."

"If you want a crush," Gaara said, his eyes never leaving Sakura's retreating form, "Continue to talk about me as if I am not here, and my sand will crush you."

Kankuro gulped and quickly sat down. Temari grinned and shook her head. This would be an interesting night. 

* * *

Sakura groaned and fought the urge to kick off her heels. She had followed through with her promise to Gaara and spoken to valley's elder. Thankfully, the elder, after her assurances that valley could trust Suna and its kazekage, was thrilled to agree to an alliance, especially after learning about the new antidotes that Suna had come up with.

After speaking to the elder, she had been approached by man after man, each wanting to dance with her, and each time, the man grabbed her hand and led her onto the floor before she could refuse. She noticed that Hinata had arrived and appeared to be upset, and so, she made her way over to the table and sat down beside the young woman.

Both females glanced at each other, then Hinata softly said, "My father has threatened that if I marry Kiba, he will get the other nobles to turn on me. Without the backing of the other nobles, it would be hard for me to run my clan, even with Neji's support."

As Sakura watched, tears formed in Hinata's eyes, and she said, "My father saved the worst for last, it seems. He really means to ruin me if Kiba and I marry."

"What happens if the other nobles agree to your marriage before your father speaks to them?" Sakura asked.

"Then my father's threat becomes useless. But, they won't speak to an unmarried woman, unless they held a vast amount of power, like you. They'd speak to you because you are the ambassador, but because I am not married, they would still consider me to be just the heiress, even though I am running my clan, now." Hinata explained.

Looking around for Kiba, Sakura quietly asked, "Where is Kiba?"

Now the tears really did come, and Hinata shook her head. "He was so angry that Neji and Naruto had to make him talk a walk with them before he confronted my father. If he attacked my father, he could be jailed." She said.

Sakura's eyes lit up, but then faded when three men began to approach their table. Kiba moved forward from the other two and sat in the chair beside Hinata. "Listen, sweetheart. I don't give a damn what your old man says. We are going to get married and if he causes us trouble, then I'll have an excuse to put him out of your misery." He said, his thumbs gently brushing away her tears.

Sakura looked up to see Naruto staring at her. A blush spread across her cheeks and she glanced down at the table. She glanced up when a shadow fell over here.

"I was wondering if you would like to dance with me." Sasuke said, his dark eyes staring down into her green ones.

Sakura opened her mouth to reply as Neji grabbed onto Naruto's arm, preventing him from punching Sasuke into the next year, but before she could say a word, Tsunade appeared and grabbed onto Sakura's arm.

"You must make a speech, Sakura." The older woman gushed. "All of these important people came here to see you, and it would be rude if you didn't say something."

She was yanked out of her seat and away from the table, leaving Sasuke's request unanswered. However, when he turned to look at the table's occupants, he noticed all of the glares that he was receiving.

"What in the hell do you think you are doing, bastard?" Naruto demanded, his tone angry. Sasuke lifted an eyebrow at the tone and then said, "Don't blame me for picking up what you threw down. You've made it clear that you don't want her, so I am going to try my luck."

Naruto felt his eyes flash, but then turned his eyes towards the stage when Tsunade called for everyone's attention.

"Thank you for coming. Tonight, we are here to celebrate new alliances, and new beginnings. I am happy to introduce to all of you, Haruno Sakura, Konoha's ambassador." Tsunade announced and then proceeded to thrust the microphone into Sakura's hands.

Sakura took in a deep breath and stared out at the crowd, who was now staring right back at her. Well, most of the men were leering. Finally, she said, "Good evening. As Tsunade-sama said, my name is Haruno Sakura. I have been the ambassador for Konoha for a few months and have loved every minute of it. I have enjoyed creating treaties and deals that not only strengthen the economy, but also the ease the stresses within the villages."

The crowd applauded, and she smiled. Scanning the crowd, Sakura caught sight of Hyuuga Hiashi, and saw that he was glaring over at the table where Hinata and Kiba were sitting. Taking in a deep breath, Sakura motioned for a glass of champagne to be brought to her and then addressed the crowd once more.

"I have a request this evening. I would ask that everyone raise their glasses tonight in a toast to celebrate the upcoming marriage between two individuals that I consider to be close, personal friends of mine." She said, smiling towards the table.

She watched as Hinata's head shot up and the young woman stare at her in amazement, as Kiba's face slowly broke out in a grin. Sakura said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba. They are to be married soon, and as my way of showing just how thrilled I am at their upcoming union, I would like to publicly say, Hinata and Kiba, I wish you many wonderful years together, and I look forward to your wedding. I wish you a very happy marriage. Congratulations."

The crowd before her raised their glasses and toasted the couple, as cheers and whistles were heard throughout the hall. Sakura turned her eyes back towards Hiashi and saw that he was glaring at her. Giving him a sweet smile, she handed the microphone back to Tsunade and bowed.

Making her way through the crowd, she finally found herself back at Hinata's table, where the young woman promptly threw herself into her arms and hugged her. When she was able to control herself, Hinata whispered, "They cheered for us, Sakura. They can't take it back, either. They can't oppose our wedding, and there isn't anything my father can do to us now."

Smiling, and returning the hug, Sakura replied, "I'm glad. I'd rather face his wrath than have you deal with his crap. Besides, I don't know anyone better to keep Kiba in line than you."

Laughing, Hinata hugged Sakura once more before turning to Kiba and hugging him for all she was worth. Sakura glanced up and saw Naruto scowling over at her, and quickly adverted her eyes. However, she failed to notice that Naruto's eyes were not on her, but on Sasuke, who happened to be right behind her.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto was just too easy. He had successfully goaded the young man into a glaring contest, and managed it so that when Sakura looked over at him, she would think that Naruto was glaring at her. Sure, he didn't like hurting her, but if that was what it took to rebuild his clan, then so be it. Besides, he'd make it up to her when they were in the master bedroom at the Uchiha compound.

He was about to ask her, again, for a dance, but Shizune came up to Sakura and asked, "Sakura, remember the lord that Tsunade mentioned that was interested to meet you?"

When she received a nod, she excitedly said, "He's here, and he arrived just in time to hear your speech. Sakura, he is gorgeous."

Sakura felt a blush spread over her cheeks and looked over her shoulder to see Ino and Shikamaru, along with Tenten and Lee smiling at her. She didn't notice the angry glare that Naruto was sending to Shizune, nor did she see the frown that Sasuke held as she was being led away.

As they walked, Shizune began to tell her the things she should and should not say to a man of his status, but Sakura didn't hear a word she said. All she kept seeing was Naruto's glare, and felt her body grow cold as the realization that all her hopes were in vain, set in.

Finally, they arrived to see Tsunade talking animatedly to a very tall man. Sakura allowed her eyes to widen as she took in the length and color of his hair. His hair was long, nearly down to his knees, though he had pulled it back into a long ponytail, and it was silver in color. He was well built, at least from the back, and his hands were large and strong looking.

However, whatever she expected to see when he turned around was blown out of the water when he faced her. To say he was gorgeous was a complete understatement. His facial features were sharp, and sensuous. His lips were full and utterly kissable. His eyes were a soft golden color, a color that she had never seen before. No, this man was not gorgeous. This man made the gods want to weep with envy.

He stepped forward and held out his hand to her, and quickly, she placed her hand within his. She noticed that his hands were soft, yet held her hand in a firm grip as he softly introduced himself.

"My lady, my name is Akio Masahara. I am the lord of the western province of Kyoto. It is a true honor to meet you." He said, and then lowered his head to kiss her hand.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura knew that she had to make the first step. The first step was always the hardest, but it had to be done, even if her heart broke in the process. And so, she smiled up at the tall man and softly replied, "I am very happy to meet you Lord Akio."

Neji was currently holding Naruto back as the young man attempted to run over to where Sakura was and yank her hand out of the tall man's hand. Sasuke, however, was angry that another complication had arisen. However, he would not allow his plans to be disturbed. He would still have Sakura, and he would use any means necessary. 

* * *

The men who stood away from their lord, watched the strange young men with interest. Finally, they turned and the first man shook his head.

"I can tell that this visit is going to be interesting." He murmured, his tone dry. His companions nodded, but turned to the sound of a loud smack.

"Damn it. Keep your hands to yourself." The young female snapped, and huffed angrily as she crossed her arms. "I still can't believe that you consider yourself a holy man."

The young man with a hand print on his face grinned. "I can't help it if the beauty that a woman holds causes me to stray from my righteous path. Really, this is all your fault for being so beautiful." He replied, his tone silky.

As the other two men watched in awe, the woman's cheeks reddened and she sighed. Too bad that their lord forbid her from killing him. It was going to be a very long night. 

* * *

_The theme for this chapter is..._

Sometimes we make it harder than it is  
We'll take a perfect night  
And fill it up with words we don't mean  
Dark sides best unseen  
And we wonder why we're feeling this way

Amy Grant...That's what love is for


	8. When One Door Closes

Sakura allowed the man beside her to guide her around the room. She felt empty, and wished now, more than ever, that she could simply leave and go home.

Lord Akio was everything a woman could want, in a man, in her opinion, he simply didn't match up to a certain loud-mouthed ninja. However, facts were facts, and he was now and forever out of her reach.

Masahara spoke of many things, mostly about how his village and the villages around it were prospering, but needed an alliance with other villages, mostly for trading. He also made several comments about how Konoha's ANBU were seen as the best, and he wanted the ninjas of his village to be trained in the same way.

Finally, he led her onto the dance floor, and pulled her against his body. She couldn't help it. Honestly, she couldn't. She stiffened at the initial contact, but managed to relax after a few moments. The man before her didn't say anything, if he noticed, but did gentle his hold on her.

Sakura noticed that several women were staring shamelessly over at the handsome lord, and didn't bother to hide the fact that they were interested in him, even from their dates. Sakura couldn't help but wish that it were one of them in her place and she was at home, sitting on her couch.

As the song, a hauntingly beautiful piece, rang through the ballroom, Sakura allowed her head to rest upon the lord's shoulder and felt him pull her even closer than before. As he turned her, she caught sight of Naruto, his handsome face twisted into a sneer, and she couldn't help but admire him in his uniform.

His blonde hair was out of control, as it usually was, and his body was primed to perfection. To her, he looked stunning. Closing her eyes, and feeling a bit guilty for it, she allowed herself to believe that it was Naruto holding her, his arms wrapped around her in a protective embrace, and together they swayed in harmony as the night carried on.

Masahara was not by any means a stupid man. He knew that the young woman had feelings for the young man who sat at the table with her friends. His foolish younger brother had informed him of that. He had seen Sakura looking over at the blonde and though it stunned him that a woman preferred another to his own company, he couldn't bring himself to call her on it.

To many, he was cold and unapproachable. To those he cared about, he protected them viciously, and would listen to them, but would chose to give his reply when he wanted. After all, he had an image to maintain.

When he felt her snuggle against him, and place her head on his shoulder, he held her tighter, wanting her to be at ease with him. After all, he had an objective here, and he needed her cooperation. As he turned them, once more, he noticed the young man glaring over at them, his mouth set in a grim line.

It would be so easy to provoke the man, but instead, he simply smirked at the ninja, and then leaned down to whisper in her ear that he would like to speak to her, outside.

Pulling away from her, he reached down and gently took her hand within his. Leading her over to the large doors, he opened the door and led her outside, and onto the balcony.

He watched as Sakura moved over to the railing, and cross her arms. It was a nice night, though a bit cool, and so, he quickly moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sharing his body heat as he got down to business.

"I understand that tomorrow, there is to be a trial for three men who attacked you. Is that correct?" He asked, his tone curt.

Sakura's eyes turned towards his, and she nodded. "The men were ravaging the villages in valley, and I stopped them, but not before one of them embedded a poisoned needle in my shoulder. Both Konoha and valley want them to be held accountable for the time I had to take to recuperate and for the damages that they caused during their raids." She explained.

Masahara nodded. "I, too, will be in attendance and would like to escort you." He said. "I would like to provide you not only my support, but also advice and instruction on how to act during events such as this."

Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him. It was true that she wasn't properly schooled in how to act among nobles, but he was willing to teach her, and that would be a huge benefit, especially during events such as this one.

Nodding, she gave him a smile and said, "Thank you. I would appreciate anything you could teach me. I guess you can already tell that I'm not used to things like this."

Smirking, Masahara said, "Not many people do know the proper way to behave. Most of the people in that room were brought into noble society through marriage, or though the people they know. None of them have any real ties to nobility. However, people like your friend, Lady Hyuuga, know how to act and have mastered their roles."

Turning around to look out at the night, she noticed that his arm moved from her shoulders to around her waist. He moved closer to her, and because of the chill, she was glad to accept the body heat he provided.

As they continued to talk, neither one noticed that they had an audience. Tsunade, being held up by Shizune, grinned and nodded her approval, just before she ogled the lord's backside. Hinata bit her lip and glanced over at Naruto, who was currently glaring at the ground. Sasuke had a scowl on his face, and was currently thinking of a way to gain Sakura's attention. Kakashi glanced over at the couple outside and then allowed his eyes to turn back to the page he was currently reading.

When the pair decided that it was time to return to the gala, the large group quickly moved away from the doors and watched as Sakura and Lord Akio reappeared. Sakura had a smile on her face and it only brightened when she saw Hinata.

The heiress timidly walked over to her friend and was quickly introduced to the handsome lord. After introducing Kiba, Masahara noticed that he was being called over to where his small group stood and quickly excused himself, promising to speak to Sakura before he left for the evening.

Once he was gone, Ino rushed over and gushed, "He is totally gorgeous, Sakura. You have done well for yourself."

Tenten and Temari appeared and both gave their opinions about the young lord. Sakura, however, was not listening. She watched from the corner of her eye as Naruto moved away from the group to stand against the wall. The frown on his face confused her.

Shouldn't he be thrilled that she had caught the attention of someone else? After all, he did tell her that he didn't want anything to do with her. So, why was he upset?

Turning her attention back to her friends, Sakura noticed that all four women were watching her, and finally, Ino asked, "So, what is going to happen now?"

"Lord Akio has requested to escort me to the trial tomorrow." She replied. "He has also offered to explain how to act around nobles, especially during events such as this."

Hinata nodded. "It would be a good idea to take him up on his offer." She said, her pearly eyes staring into Sakura's green ones. "I'll be honest, it will do you a lot of good to learn how to act in the presence of a noble from a noble."

Giving the woman a smile, Sakura nodded. "And, that is why I accepted his offer. Besides, I don't have anything better to do, tomorrow." She said, and then shrugged. "I like talking to him. He certainly knows a lot."

The women laughed and began to talk about what she should wear and how she should wear her hair. They moved her off towards a table, leaving the men to stare after them.

Neji glanced over at where Sasuke stood and quietly made his way over to where the Uchiha stood. Smirking, he said, "It would appear that a new wolf has moved in on your prey. What are you going to do now, Uchiha?"

Before Sasuke could reply, Lee puffed up his chest and exclaimed, "I can see the beginnings of youthful love blossoming for the lovely Sakura. Do not attempt to destroy the fragile foundation on which it is being built."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sasuke calmly asked, "What is Gai doing over there?"

Turning quickly, Lee's eyes scanned the crowd. "Where? Where is Gai-sensei?"

Neji muttered, "I can't believe that he fell for that." Shaking his head at the green-loving man, he turned and noticed that Sasuke was heading towards the table where Sakura was currently sitting. He wanted to walk over there, and would even offer to dance with Sakura, just to keep Sasuke from her, but was stopped when Lee grasped his arm and asked, "Do you see Gai-sensei, Neji? What if he needs our help?"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sakura groaned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. The previous night had taken a lot out of her, and she was glad when several of the ANBU were called to help with a disruption at the jail where the three men who attacked valley were being held.

Sasuke had come up to talk to her, but was grabbed by both Neji and Lee when their captain called for assistance to help break up the fight. She couldn't help but remember that he had asked her to dance before Tsunade-sensei pulled her away to address the crowd, and wondered why he even bothered.

Taking in a deep breath, she swung her legs out of her bed and grimaced when they hit the floor. It was clear to her that it was going to be a cold day, and she quickly rushed to the bathroom to take her shower.

The trial was to take place in the afternoon, meaning that she would have all morning to herself. So, she decided to take a walk. Once she was showered, and dressed, she left her apartment and began to wander around Konoha.

The village was bustling with people and she noticed that nearly every store had a sign telling their customers that their store would be closing early because of the trial. She passed by Ino's shop, and saw Nara Shikamaru standing outside, smoking.

The lazy genius gave her a nod, before blowing out a cloud of smoke. She grinned at him, before moving away, and into the crowd of people. Many called out her name and well-wishes. She plastered a large smile on her face, and gave polite nods, telling the people that she had heard them.

Finally, she found herself walking into the training grounds, and took in a deep breath. But, if she wanted to be alone, she was in for a disappointment.

In the middle of the large field, a lone figure was training. His kicks and punches were flawless, and his body gleamed with sweat, drawing attention to the muscles that were usually kept hidden from view by his shirt.

She watched as he moved with more grace than a dancer, and smiled at the way his face crinkled up when he concentrated. He was truly a beautiful creature.

Her smile faded, though, when he performed a punch, using too much power, and put his fist through the wooden pole that was used to teach punching techniques. She could hear the loud cursing, and couldn't help but wonder if he had broken the bones in his hand. He was always getting himself hurt.

Naruto glared at his hand, the throbbing and aching causing him to clench his teeth. He knew that he had broken at least one of his fingers, but this time wasn't his fault. He knew that someone was watching him, and it caused him to lose his concentration.

He felt someone behind him, and turned to tell the person off, but froze when he saw that it was Sakura. The young woman took in a deep breath and quietly asked, "Are you alright?"

He slowly nodded, unsure of what to say to her. He noticed that she was staring at his hand, and simply stared at her when she asked, "May I see your hand?"

Thrusting the sore appendage towards her, he sucked in a deep breath when her soft hands encircled around his much larger, calloused one. He watched as she probed his hand, and then allowed her chakra to begin to heal the bones.

As she healed him, she said, "Last night was pretty interesting."

"Yeah. Hinata looked beautiful." He said, and instantly wanted to kick his own ass for saying such a stupid thing. What he meant to say was that she looked just as beautiful as Hinata, if not more.

Sakura numbly nodded. After all, what did she expect? They were not friends, and he had no reason to compliment her. "Yes, she did look beautiful." She agreed.

As he watched her, his eyes were soft and moved over her face, memorizing each and every single detail. He could feel the ache in his hand lessen, but the ache within his heart seemed to grow with each minute of silence that loomed between them.

When she was done, she pulled her hands back, letting his hand fall to his side, and then stepped back from him. He stepped forward, intent on telling her that they needed to talk, to work things out. He intended to tell her that he missed her, and forgave her. He needed to tell her that he was lonely, and that without her, his life held no joy for him.

He was going to tell her all of these things, but a soft voice stopped him before he could even start.

"Ambassador Haruno?" A woman asked, her long, dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail. A pair of blue eyes and a pair of green eyes turned towards the woman and Sakura stepped forward and gave her a smile.

"Yes?" Sakura answered, and returned the bow that was given to her by the stranger.

"My lady, my name is Murocho Satchi, and I have been given the pleasure of asking to accompany me to my lord's temporary residence. He wishes to speak with you." Satchi said, her dark eyes moving between the ambassador and male.

Sakura wanted to tell her that she was busy, but knew that Naruto was only stomaching her presence because she had healed him. Nodding, she quietly said, "If you don't mind, please call me Sakura. And yes, I will go to speak with Lord Akio."

Naruto gritted his teeth. Damn it, was the world against him and Sakura? His eyes followed the women, and he was shocked when Sakura didn't tell him goodbye. The beast within him demanded that he go after her, and prove to the two males sniffing around her that she was not available. However, he wasn't going to give into the kyuubi. He needed to think of something fast, before things got any more out of hand than they already had.

* * *

Neji and Kiba stared at each other. Finally, Kiba said, "They're even worse at this than Hinata was when she approached me. What in the hell are we going to do?"

Neji's eyes narrowed. "We need to keep the Uchiha away from her. He isn't happy to have more competition, and I think that he might do something drastic. As for the lord, I suppose that we will need to keep an eye on them and deal with things as they come."

"Hinata and I received a formal invitation to sit with Sakura and Lord Akio this afternoon, at the trial. I can watch over them, there." Kiba murmured, his eyes moving over to where Naruto stood, watching Sakura retreating form.

Nodding, Neji said, "Good. While you are watching them, I want to have a talk with Naruto. He clearly needs all of the help he can get."

For several minutes, the two men were quiet, but then Kiba asked, "How are things progressing with you and Tenten? I saw she was with Lee, last night."

"Tenten went with Lee because he begged her to go, and because I was with you guys. She plans on telling Lee that she and I are together, but wants to do it in a way that doesn't hurt his feelings. Personally, I think that she is wasting her time. Lee and Gai-sensei have it in their heads that she and Lee are perfect for each other." Neji stated, his eyes narrowing.

Kiba smirked. Between Sakura and Naruto, and Neji, Tenten, and Lee, Konoha was going to have a lot to gossip about, and he had a front row seat. He couldn't wait to see what happened at the trial.

* * *

Sakura giggled as Satchi warned her about the holy man who was apart of their group. She laughed as she was told about how Satchi had been given the task of keeping him in line whenever a pretty girl was in the area.

"It sounds as if he and Jiraiya-sama would get along famously." Sakura giggled, and laughed when Satchi's face twisted in horror.

"Don't tell me that I have to worry about another hentai!" She exclaimed, but sighed when Sakura shook her head.

"Don't worry. Tsunade-sensei keeps him in line, for the most part, but he is pretty predictable when it comes to women." Sakura replied.

Both women continued to make small jokes as they entered the small house that held the members of Satchi's group. When they entered the room where the lord was, Sakura noticed that he was surrounded by several good-looking men, and that one of them looked like the lord.

Satchi bowed and quickly introduced the men, and explained that the man named Ichiro was the half-brother of Lord Akio. Sakura nodded and treated all of the men to a smile, but was stunned when one of the men swiftly approached her and asked, "My dear lady, might I have the honor of asking you..."?

He was quickly silenced when Satchi's fist connected with his cheek. Turning to Sakura, she murmured, "I told you he was a brave hentai."

"Indeed." Masahara said, rising from his seat. "You are all excused."

Two of the men, one of them the brother of Masahara, quickly picked the fallen man up, and left the room, followed by Satchi. When they were alone, Sakura turned and bowed to the lord.

"I have been told that you wanted to speak with me." She said, and quickly moved to the seat that he indicated that was on his right.

Masahara looked at Sakura for several moments before nodding. "I am sure that you have been told that I have an interest in you, Lady Haruno. But, I am sure that you do not know why." He said, his voice even.

When she nodded, he bluntly said, "My interest in you is born out of necessity. I am nearly thirty years old, and I need a woman who is not only a good negotiator, but well respected by her village. When I heard about you, I was interested, but when I saw you, I knew that you would be perfect."

She was afraid to ask, but took a deep breath and asked anyways. "Perfect for what?"

A smile crossed the lord's lips and he took a sip of water. "Perfect as my wife, of course."

Sakura felt her entire body grow cold. She was sure that she was going to pass out from shock, but was quite proud of herself when she managed to stay upright.

She didn't know what to say. Words ran through her mind, phrases that needed to be said, but she couldn't seem to get her mouth to work properly.

Masahara regarded her with his beautiful eyes, and nodded. "You need time and you will have time. I am not leaving until the end of this month, and we will be able to get to know each other properly. I will be speaking with your sensei to gain her approval and with her blessing, my village and Konoha will enter into a treaty of our own. Our union will bring about many blessings for all those involved." He said.

Glancing up at the clock, he stood up and offered Sakura his hand. She took it, still shocked, and nodded when he said, "The trial begins in an hour. We will go on over, and meet up with your friends."

She allowed him to lead her to the door and outside. As they walked, her mind flashed to Naruto, and she closed her eyes. Perhaps this was what they meant by when one door closes, another opens. Maybe it was time to walk through a new door.

* * *

This chapter's theme is...

_I don't wanna hear about it any more  
It's a shame I've got to live without you any more  
There's a fire in my heart  
A pounding in my brain, it's driving me crazy_

We don't need to talk about it any more  
Yesterday's just a memory  
And we close the door  
I just made one mistake  
I didn't know what to say when you called me baby

Can you take me higher by Damn Yankees


	9. To Repay A Debt

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. I really appreciate them, and enjoy reading them. Now we are going to get to see Sakura and Naruto moving towards each other, and all of the little pitfalls that are in between. So, enjoy this newest chapter and enjoy.

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened as she saw the large amount of people waiting to gain entry into the stadium, where the trial was going to take place. Many of the spectators were nobles, but there were quite a few villagers also waiting, eager to see the men responsible for injuring their ambassador, held accountable.

When they entered the stadium, Masahara nodded in satisfaction as several people called out Sakura's name, and cheered her as she walked by, offering smiles and nods to them. He could tell that she was loved in her village, though he was a bit put off by the fact that he was being ignored.

When he caught sight of the hokage, he patted Sakura's hand and softly said, "I will be back in a few moments. Go on to our seats, and I will join you shortly."

When she walked away, his retainer quickly showing her to their seats, he walked over to Tsunade, and gave her a hard glare, to which she blushed.

"So, how angry are you?" She asked, her tone soft. She knew it was wrong, but someone had to do something to kick things into gear.

Masahara regarded her coolly before saying, "She is in love with the blonde ninja. However, I do believe that I might be able to show him the error of his ways."

Tsunade grinned. She met Masahara several years ago, before she became the new hokage. Though he was cold, she knew that he held honor above everything else, and because he owed her a favor, he would follow through with her plan.

"How is Sakura fairing? I suppose she is a bit nervous about the trial." Tsunade said, her pretty eyes meeting the golden eyes of her partner in crime.

"I doubt that she will be thinking about the trial. I brought up the prospect of marriage to her, and I think that she will be thinking of ways to get herself out of it. Though I have not properly asked, I did make it clear that it was my intention." He replied.

Tsunade bit her lip. "What if she decides to say yes? What will you do then?" She asked.

Masahara smirked. "That boy, who loves her, will not allow our union. But, if she did accept, I would take it as far as the day of the union, and then bow out, telling her that it would not be honorable of me to marry her, when her heart belongs to another. This way, it gives her an out, and will force the young man to make a choice: Either take her, or leave her. If he leaves her, then he is a fool." He stated, and then looked up when the announcement was heard that the trial was to begin. "I will see you later, and we can discuss things further. Until then, keep this quiet. I want her to think on things."

Nodding, Tsunade watched as he gave her a small bow, and then walked away. Shaking her head, she allowed a grin to cross her lips and sighed happily. If anyone could force Naruto and Sakura to admit their feelings, Masahara could. He was the best when it came to playing mind games.

Walking to her own seat, and giving a smile to the leaders of valley and Suna, she directed her attention to the crowd and motioned for all to be silent.

"Today, three men will be on trial for the destruction and vandalism to valley, and to the assault upon Ambassador Haruno. Bring in the three men, who stand accused." She ordered and allowed her features to harden as the accused were brought into the stadium.

The crowd booed, and spewed curses at the men. Sakura watched as the men shouted curses at the people in the stands, and shook her head. Even now, they showed no remorse for those they hurt. Glancing over at where the witnesses were seated, Sakura noticed the village girl, who had been the victim of their unwanted advances, sitting in a seat, her back ridged and her face lowered.

If there was a victim here, more worthy than her of getting justice, it was this girl. She could almost feel the girl's sadness and shame at being fondled, yet was there to testify on her behalf. No justice would be gained for her, and she would get to live with the memory and knowledge that another woman was more important that she was; that her body had been violated yet no one cared.

Tsunade called for silence, but Sakura could not keep quiet any longer. Rising from her seat, and ignoring the curious glances from those around her, Sakura directed her gaze to her sensei, and said in a strong voice, "I wish to ask a request of this court."

Tsunade, Gaara, and Anikumo glanced at each other, but nodded. Besides, after all that Sakura had accomplished, they could accommodate her wishes.

Glancing down at the girl, whose sorrowful eyes were now looking into her own, Sakura asked, "Do you have any training as a ninja?"

The girl paled, but quickly shook her head. Her eyes lowered when Sakura said, "That's what I thought." Turning her eyes towards the three leaders, Sakura said, "I wish to drop the charges of assault."

The crowd gasped, and Sakura saw Masahara stand up beside her, while Hinata tugged on her hand, silently telling her to reconsider, but she could not be detered.

"Instead, I wish to enter assault and battery charges on the men for the young woman who is sitting in the witness box. I am ninja. I expect to be harmed, and do my job with great pride. However, the young lady who was assaulted, is not a ninja, and could not have protected herself against them. As ambassador, I am accountable for the well-being of everyone. Nobles and non-nobles. My pain and suffering is nothing compared to that of hers, and she must also deal with the aftermath of her attack. However, she has just as, if not more, right to justice, than I. Therefore, I demand as ambassador to both valley and Konoha, that these men be held accountable for the attack on her, and I will not rest until she receives that justice." Sakura demanded, her tone hard.

Tsunade and Anikumo looked at each other, while Gaara held a smirk on his face. Finally, Anikumo stood and said, "The charges for the assault upon Ambassador Haruno, are dropped. However, the charges for assault and battery upon Lei will be entered. If there is nothing further, let us begin."

Sakura smiled and looked down at the girl, who looked stunned, and waved at her. The girl waved back as tears began to slide down her face, and Sakura knew that she had made a difference to her, just by standing up for her. Just that knowledge gave Sakura more satisfaction than any guilty verdict could have. This girl would be avenged.

Masahara helped her back down into her seat and quietly berated himself for allowing Tsunade to talk him into this ridiculous plan. If he had not agreed, then he could have gone after this smart, compassionate woman with no regrets. But, he did have a saving grace, and that was if the boy, who Sakura had feelings for, did not go after her, then he could go after her without regret.

After three hours of testimony, the panel of three leaders found the three men guilty of all counts, and sentenced them to prison. The three men shouted curses and at one point, even pointed up at Sakura and warned her that she had not heard the last of them.

That statement earned them a severe beating by the ANBU who were standing by to escort them to their new home.

Nodding in satisfaction, Sakura watched as the men were carried away, and smiled at Hinata, who let out a breath of relief.

"I am so glad that it is over." She said, her face pale. "Do you think that they will follow through with their threat?"

"They'd be stupid, if they did." Kiba replied, his tone lazy. "If anything happened to Sakura, then they would be the first to feel the wrath of Konoha and its allies. Besides, Sakura has so many bodyguards, they'd never get close enough to touch her."

Giggling, Sakura playfully slapped at Kiba's arm and said, "It's nice to know that I'm loved."

Akamaru barked, and nuzzled up against her, as Kiba hugged Hinata to his body. "Of course you are." He said, but then thought, 'And the one who would protect you the most viciously had better pull his head out of his ass or else I'll do it for him.'

Hinata invited Sakura to the Hyuuga compound for dinner, and included Masahara in her invitation. However, the young lord politely declined. "Your hokage invited me to dinner, and I have some issues to discuss with her. Perhaps another time." He replied, his tone smooth.

When Hinata nodded, Masahara turned to Sakura and reached for her hand. Gently, he kissed her knuckles and said, "I look forward to getting to know you better, Sakura. Especially with what you and I discussed earlier. Enjoy your evening, and I will be in touch."

Once she nodded, he turned and left. He was quite aware of the blonde ninja glaring at him, but he couldn't help it. After all, he did enjoy a good game.

Sakura blushed as she turned to look at her friends. Hinata and Kiba were looking at her expectantly, and she cleared her throat. "I'll tell you guys at dinner, ok?" She asked, her voice squeaking. She didn't want to tell anyone about the conversation. At least, not yet.

* * *

Sakura laughed as Kiba told her the story about how he and Hinata got stuck in a cave, while Shino went for help. The more he got into the story, the redder Hinata got. Finally, just as he was getting to the good part, where they had to strip off their clothing, just to keep warm, Hinata's hand clamped over her lover's mouth and calmly said, "Let's not bore Sakura with all the details. Let's just say that help came, and we were saved. Story over."

Being a smart man, Kiba knew when to stop. Especially when her cousin, and protector was glaring at him and probably thinking of different ways to inflict pain.

Turning to Sakura, Hinata asked, "Now tell us about the conversation between you and Lord Akio, before the trial. You seemed pretty nerved up."

Sakura glanced down to fiddle with her shirt. She had changed from her kimono, to something more comfortable. Now, she was anything but comfortable. Peeking up, she saw that Hinata was determined to know what happed, and she wasn't getting out of it.

"He mentioned that being in a union would strengthen ties between our villages, and the bonds of the villages who were united within the alliance." Sakura muttered, her tone soft.

Hinata was quiet. Neji narrowed his eyes as her words processed through his mind. Kiba, was not as quick as his companions. "What kind of union are we talking about?" He asked, and took note of his companions sour expressions.

"It means he wants her as his wife." Neji snapped, his irritation showing. He felt Sakura stiffen beside him when he mentioned the word, 'wife'.

"You are not seriously considering this, are you, Sakura?" Hinata asked, her hand now resting on top of her friend's.

Sakura shook her head, but then sighed. "Not really." She said. "But, I can't help thinking that it would be nice to be in a relationship. You have Kiba, and I have no one. I-I'm lonely."

Silence filled the room as the occupants allowed her words to absorb. Finally, Hinata said, "Please. Please don't give up on Naruto. He does love you, and I know that if you two talk, you can work through this."

"I've talked to him, Hinata. I saw him earlier today, and he didn't say anything to me, except that you looked beautiful, last night. No, whatever Naruto and I could have had, is gone. It's dead, and I have to accept that." Sakura said, her tone wistful. "But, I am done crying over what could have been. I have to let go and move on with my life. I won't let my past mistakes bring me down, and that means putting Naruto and my feelings for him in the past."

Hinata bit her lip and looked over at her cousin, who was scowling. Kiba allowed his hand to stroke Akamaru's head as he lost himself in his thoughts.

When she looked up at the clock, Sakura was shocked to see how late it was. "I didn't realize that it was so late." She murmured. Standing up, she stretched and grinned when the other three stood up, as well.

Hinata hugged Sakura, and whispered, "Please wait before you make any major decisions. Promise me, Sakura."

Sakura regarded the woman before her for a few moments, before nodding. "You have my word. I won't make any major decisions without thinking them through."

She said her goodbyes, and left the compound quickly. Walking down the quiet street, she was shocked to see someone walking towards her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

She stopped in her tracks as the man stopped a few feet away from her. His eyes studied her, and he quietly asked, "What are you doing out here, all by yourself?"

Snorting, she crossed her arms over her chest, and said, "I'm a big girl, now. I can take care of myself."

Kakashi nodded and then turned. "I'll walk you home. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite cherry blossom." He replied, knowing that it would irritate her.

Glaring at his back, Sakura walked after him, and soon caught up with him. She noticed that he was deep in thought and asked, "So, how are you doing?"

Kakashi allowed his eye to slide over to look down at her, and he shrugged. "I'm fine. I've just been busy. Last night was not my idea of fun." He said.

Glancing down, Sakura nodded. "I didn't have a good time, either. The highlight of my night was being able to go home." She replied.

After several moments, Kakashi asked, "Why did you leave flowers on Uchiha Obito's grave? I also noticed the same kind of flowers on Rin's grave. Why did you leave them?"

Sakura bit her lip. If she told him that Obito had visited her from the grave, he'd think that she was nuts. So, she decided to say, "I have heard that he was in a similar situation that my group was. He loved Rin, Rin loved you, and you loved duty. It sounds just like team seven, in our younger days."

Kakashi's face hardened. He remembered those days. He could still see Rin's adoring eyes, and Obito's love for Rin, written all over his face. He could hear Rin's last word, "Obito", as her life slipped away, and he could still feel the pain his heart had felt.

"At least, your teammates are still alive." He muttered, and directed his gaze forward.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Was this why Obito had originally returned? Was he supposed to confront Kakashi, to ease the pain that obviously lived within him?

"You've never forgiven yourself, have you?" She asked, prepared to take whatever anger he had. The tall man froze in his tracks and he quietly said, "Leave it alone, Sakura. It isn't any of your business."

"Yet you have no problems butting into business that doesn't concern you, especially when it concerns one of us." She returned, her tone neutral. "You can't forgive yourself, can you?"

Whirling around on her, Kakashi's eye blazed with anger and he snapped, "What in the hell would you know about it? You walk around Konoha, your head hanging, and you mourn what could have been with Naruto, had you not fucked up so badly. Who in the hell are you to talk about forgiveness?"

Sakura simply nodded. "They can hear you, you know." She said, her eyes soft. "Every day you go to them, and you apologize. You tell them about how much you regret losing them and the mistakes that you made, then walk away only to do it again the following day. They hear you, Kakashi-sensei and they still love you. Even if you can't bring yourself to believe it. They love you and had forgiven you a long time ago. The only person who still holds a grudge, is you."

She knew that she had crossed the line, but she would not back down. Instead, she said, "Yes, I messed up with Naruto. I love him, Kakashi. I always will, but I can't change the past, nor am I going to try. I mourn the love that I could have had with him, knowing that he would have loved me more than anyone else, besides my parents, and he would have protected me until our dying day. I will never gain his forgiveness, and I accept that, but I have forgiven myself. I am not perfect, Kakashi, and neither are you. The only one who thinks that you should be, is you. That's why you can't forgive yourself. Until you realize that, you will never get over the pain of losing them."

The man before her glared at her, but then quickly made several hand signs, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Sakura glanced up at the moon, which was full, and quietly said, "Obito, I hope that he finds the forgiveness that he needs, but I don't think that he is ready yet. If you can, please help me help him." 

* * *

Sakura spent the next few days training with Akumitsa-sensei. The man was relentless as he taught her new sword techniques. When he finally dismissed her, he glanced over his shoulder and calmly said, "You've done your father proud, girl. It would seem that when your head is out of your ass, you are one hell of a ninja, just like he was."

For Sakura, that was the highest compliment that he could have paid her. To say that she was just like her father, a man who was honored for his skills as a ninja, was a true honor.

But, when she attempted to practice the moves that she had been taught, by herself, she found that she simply could not get her hands to grasp the hilt of her sword correctly. She tried different ways, but none of them were comfortable, and she was quickly losing her patience.

She was about to give up for the day, but froze when she felt a familiar chakra approaching her. Glancing up, she saw Naruto slowly walking towards her, and when he stopped in front of her, he shoved his hands in his pockets and gruffly said, "You're doing it wrong, you know."

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she nodded. "I can't seem to get the hang of it. I've tried, but every time I rearrange my grip, it feels wrong." She replied, almost shyly.

Her eyes moved away from his, and he took in a deep breath. He took note that she smelled faintly of strawberries, and another scent that he couldn't quite place. Before he could stop himself, he walked around to stand behind her and placed his hands over hers, moving them to where they needed to be.

Sakura took in a shaky breath and mentally scolded herself for reacting to him in such a way. He didn't want her, and he was only doing this because she had healed his hands.

Naruto felt her shaking beneath his hands, and unconsciously, moved closer to her, molding his larger body around her smaller one. He kept his hands over hers, and slowly helped her move through the moves that her new sensei had taught her.

When the final move was completed, neither moved. Sakura could feel his warm breath on her ear, and she closed her eyes as his scent filled her nose. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and wrap her arms around him. She would love to hug him, and feel his arms hug her back.

Naruto, too, had closed his eyes and was enjoying the feel of having the woman he loved in his arms. The heat from her body was quickly invading his clothing and he sighed as he felt her relax. For several moments, the training ground was quiet and they enjoyed a stolen moment of peace. Now he knew for sure. This is what he wanted, and from her reaction to him, she wanted it, too.

However, the peace was shattered when someone cleared their throat. Two pairs of eyes turned to the intruder, and saw Sasuke standing a few feet away, his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"The hokage is looking for you, dobe." He said, his tone bored. "I would suggest that you don't make her wait for you. She is in one of her moods."

Glaring over at his rival, Naruto slowly released Sakura, who immediately felt the loss of body heat. When she turned to look at him, she found that he was glaring at Sasuke, who was returning the glare with one of his own.

Before he could turn and walk away, Sakura placed her hand on his arm, and quietly said, "Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it."

Naruto's eyes softened for a moment, and he nodded. Turning away, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and he walked away. He didn't look back, because if he did, he'd end up beating Sasuke into a bloody pulp.

Sakura watched as he walked away, and forgot that Sasuke was standing a few feet away. It was only after he coughed, did she look over at him.

"Hi." She said, her tone soft. Sasuke fought a scowl as he noticed the blush on her face. But, he simply nodded and said, "Hi, yourself. Do you have a few minutes?"

When she nodded, he extended his hand and watched as she stared at it for a few moments, but then placed her hand in his.

Leading her away from the training field, he nodded when she requested that they stop by her apartment so that she could put her sword up, and change clothes. He was curious to see what her apartment looked like, since he had been denied the pleasure of seeing it when he attempted to see her after she returned from valley, injured.

As they walked, his mind swirled with things he wanted to say to her, and he knew that the time to make his move was at hand. He was sure that after he explained his intentions, Sakura would be putty in his hands.

He could not wait to mold her into the perfect Uchiha bride.


	10. Ulterior Motives

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone. I really enjoy reading them and love hearing your opinions. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, because this chapter marks the changing relationship of Naruto and Sakura. Enjoy and please review.

* * *

Sakura looked up at the man beside her and silently wondered what he wanted. Normally, he wouldn't have much to do with her, except if they were on a mission, but he had started to come around, and she was curious as to know why.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was confident that he could sway Sakura away from Naruto. After all, she had been in love with him for so many years and now, she would be getting exactly what she had always dreamed of….him.

After walking for several minutes, Sakura finally asked, "So, what's going on, Sasuke?"

The young man looked down at her, and gave her a smile. Suddenly, she was wary, mostly because whenever he smiled, it was never good.

He took in a deep breath, prepared to tell Sakura that he had decided that they would be a perfect team, both on and off the field, but froze when a voice yelled, "Sakura!"

The pair turned and watched as Shizune ran towards them, her face red from running. When she finally caught up, she took a moment to catch her breath and then said, "Tsunade-sama wants to see you in her office, Sakura. It's really important."

Sasuke could feel his anger beginning to bubble, but calmed himself when Sakura turned to him and asked, "Why don't we try to catch up with each other tonight, ok?"

He nodded and then glared over at Shizune, who was watching them with narrowed eyes. When Sakura turned to the other woman, he fought the urge to flip the intruding female off, but then decided that at least now, he could fine-tune what he wanted to tell Sakura.

Turning on his heel, he walked in the opposite direction, but then stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Then, he lifted his hand, and allowed his middle finger to shoot up towards the sky.

He smirked as he walked towards town. Well, at least he got some satisfaction.

* * *

Kiba was growling low in his throat as Neji seethed. That little Uchiha punk was just asking for his ass to be beaten.

When the two men jumped down from their hiding place, Kiba said, "What in the hell are we going to do now? She's going to meet up with him tonight."

Smirking, Neji replied, "She said that they could try to meet up. I think that we can convince Hinata to come up with something that would distract Sakura away from the Uchiha.

Kiba laughed and patted his friend on the back. As he moved to walk away, Neji's hand shot out and gripped onto Kiba's arm.

Stepping forward, Neji calmly asked, "So, do you want to tell me about you and Hinata getting stuck in that cave? You seemed so eager to tell the story the other night."

Kiba gulped and gave a nervous grin. Ah, hell. He was in a lot of trouble.

* * *

Tsunade grinned and nodded her head. Yes, this was the perfect plan to get Naruto and Sakura together. Her cohort in the plan was currently sitting across from her, looking very pleased with himself.

As they waited, Tsunade asked, "And, you believe that this will bring them closer together? What if it has the opposite effect?"

Masahara shrugged. "The boy needs to be the one to step to her. She isn't going to go against his wishes, due to her honor, and in order for them to begin, there must be a starting point. This way, he has no choice but to deal with her, and vice versa." He explained, his tone bored.

Tsunade smiled and took a sip of her drink. As the liquid burned down her throat, she gave the man before her an admiring glance. If only she were a few years younger, then he'd have to watch out.

The door opened quickly, causing the female hokage to drop her drink, and she glared up at the intruder.

"What do you want, baa-chan?" Naruto demanded. He had to get back to where Sasuke was, just to make sure that he didn't try anything with Sakura. If he found the bastard making the moves on her, there would be no way in hell that he'd be held back from beating the shit out of him.

Tsunade finished mopping up the mess that her drink made, and motioned to a seat next to Masahara. The younger man gave the lord a glare, but did as he was told. Once he was seated comfortably, Tsunade said, "Lord Akio has come to me with a request, and unfortunately, I have no one else who I trust with this mission."

Naruto relaxed a bit. He knew the woman before him could be sneaky. Of course, all of the sannin were like that. He glanced over at the stoic man beside him and got a cold stare in return.

Tsunade took in a deep breath and calmly said, "Lord Akio has decided to approach me for permission to ask Haruno Sakura for her hand in marriage. Their union would benefit both of our villages, not to mention the alliances between us, valley, and Suna."

Naruto felt his entire body freeze. Lord Akio wanted to marry Sakura? He was glad that he was sitting down, because if he wasn't, he would have probably passed out, or worse, gotten sick all over baa-chan's floor.

"Yes. I need a woman who holds both compassion and intelligence at my side. Sakura is the perfect woman for the task." Masahara said, his eyes never leaving Naruto's.

"Your mission, Naruto." Tsunade said, "Will be to protect Sakura. What that means is, you are to be Sakura's personal bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" Naruto asked, his tone flat. He felt as if the breath had just been kicked out of him.

Masahara nodded. "Yes, you will be at Ambassador Haruno's side at all times. She is to be your responsibility."

As the words filtered through his head, Naruto thought of many reasons why he should refuse this mission. He should refuse because he knew that Sakura still thought that he hated her. He should refuse because there were other shinobi out there who were better suited for the job. He should refuse…..because he loved her and couldn't watch her fall in love with someone else.

But, for all his refusals, his darker half began to whisper about how they could sabotage this so-called engagement. By being at Sakura's side, he could rebuild the bond that they once held and strengthen it, thus effectively removing the lord's chances with her.

He looked up and into the eyes of the woman who he knew he could not let down. But, his honor simply wouldn't let him acknowledge the kyuubi's suggestions, and he was about to tell her no, but was stopped when the door opened.

"I found her, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called, her tone merry. The dark haired woman walked in, and behind her, walked Sakura.

He watched her, his heart beating rapidly, and gave her a nod when she looked up at him with those green eyes of hers. For a moment, nothing existed but her.

When Tsunade cleared her throat, both Naruto and Sakura looked over at her, and she motioned for Sakura to sit down.

"Lord Akio has informed me that he has brought up the idea of marriage to you, Sakura." Tsunade said. "As your sensei, I have given my consent for him to court you."

Sakura's heart dropped to her feet. She knew that her face had lost all color, and she could hear Naruto's knuckles cracking behind her.

"I'll do it. "

The entire room was silent. Tsunade was nodding in approval, as was Masahara. Sakura whirled around and asked, "What?"

Masahara stood up and smoothly explained. "When I asked for permission to court you, I also asked for one of the village's shinobi to be assigned as your personal bodyguard. After all, you are a very important woman, Sakura. We are fortunate to have this young man agree to be that bodyguard."

Tsunade stood up, as well. "Yes, however, Lord Akio and I have a meeting to attend, so Naruto, your duties begin now." She said, as she walked to her door. Over her shoulder, she threw the pair behind her a wink and said, "Be good, children."

Naruto watched as the door closed, leaving him and Sakura alone. He looked down at Sakura, who was still staring at the door. He supposed he should feel a bit guilty for going along with the kyuubi. After all, he was honorable.

Oh, well. Honor didn't keep you very warm at night, did it? 

* * *

Sakura bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder as she walked. Once she had recovered from the shock of learning that she was now officially being courted and finding that Naruto was going to be her bodyguard, she had decided that what she needed was a really good workout.

She walked past the man, and mumbled that she needed to go to her apartment and change. She knew that he would follow her. Despite his loud, brash ways, Naruto was a shinobi who did as he was told, within reason. If he was to be around her, he would be.

So, once she had changed and grabbed her sword, they walked to her sensei's home, and was happy to find the man sitting outside, waiting on her.

Akumista watched as she walked towards him and cocked his eyebrow when he saw the blonde man behind her.

"Girl, it would appear that your shadow has decided to switch genders." He said, his tone dry.

Sakura sighed and gave him a weak smile. "Naruto is going to be hanging around me, for a while." She said, praying that her voice didn't show that she was saddened that he was around because he had been ordered.

The old man slowly nodded, but then snapped, "Alright, girl. Let's get the show on the road." He walked towards their training area, then looked over his shoulder. "You too, blondie." He said, his eyes narrowing in silent challenge. "If you're going to stay, you might as well join in."

Trudging silently behind the pair, Naruto allowed a small smile to cross his lips, which was not missed by Sakura's elderly sensei. As the older man turned to face forward, a smirk crossed his own lips at the young man's cunning. He knew exactly what Naruto was doing, and in his opinion, it was a damn good plan. Of course, he wasn't going to take it easy on the younger man, but he did have to respect him, especially since he was the one who inspired his student to change her bad behavior.

So, they trained, and when Akumista told them that he was done for the day, Naruto nearly kissed his feet. The man was a slave driver, even more so than Kakashi. Once Sakura's sensei had walked away, after telling them that he was busy the following night, so training was canceled, he glanced down at the heap of kunoichi and grinned at her exhausted expression.

"Gods, I hurt so much." Sakura groaned, wincing as she tried to sit up. When she felt a hand on her back, she jumped a bit, then blushed as she mumbled a quiet apology. When she got to her feet, with his help, she brushed herself off and then sighed as she strapped her sword to her side.

"Hinata has said that she and the others are going to the bar, tonight. I was going to go, but I don't want to put you out, or anything." She said, her eyes looking everywhere but at him.

Honestly, he didn't want to go out, simply because he knew that Sasuke would probably be there, and would probably try to get Sakura alone. However, he also knew that Sakura liked spending time with Hinata, and he also wanted to get together with Neji and Kiba. He liked the dog shinobi, mostly because he brought Hinata so much happiness, and also the man had a wicked sense of humor. Neji was a great guy, even though he was slightly stuck-up. But, he viciously protected his friends, and he could tell that Neji had started to watch over Sakura, for which he was grateful for.

"If you want to go, I don't have a problem with it. We'll go, and when you get tired, we'll leave." He replied, keeping his tone light. He nearly burst out laughing when her mouth dropped open at his response. He knew that she had been expecting a gruff reply, but he wasn't just ready yet to tell her that he had forgiven her. In fact, he had decided that he would take baby-steps with her, rebuilding the friendship, and then slowly evolving that friendship into a relationship. After all, the things worth having were worth waiting for.

She slowly nodded, and then turned. Silently, he trailed behind her, and congratulated himself on such a good idea. 

* * *

Laughing, Sakura shook her head as Hinata told her about how Kiba and Shino had managed to get caught as they attempted to peek at her during a mission about a year ago. It was Akamaru who had chased his master and the bug shinobi back to the camp and then watched them like a hawk until she returned.

"When I came back, Kiba kept yelling at Akamaru that he was ruining his 'good time' and I was clueless as to what his 'good time' had been." Hinata giggled. "When we went to bed, Akamaru refused to leave my side, and he kept growling over at the two males, which shocked me because he was Kiba's dog."

Kiba snorted into his drink. "Yeah, my boy didn't like the fact that we were spying on Hinata, and because of him, we didn't get to see anything interesting. He was really pissed at me."

"He's not the only one." Neji muttered, and took a sip of his own drink, before turning to Tenten, and giving her hand a squeeze.

Naruto snickered. He had really missed hanging out with his friends, and now that he was on his way to working things out with Sakura, he found that he was relaxed for the first time in a long time. He glanced over at his companion, who was sitting right beside him and he couldn't help but think that she was the most beautiful woman in the place.

Kiba and Hinata noticed the way that Naruto was looking at Sakura and they smiled. The change in Naruto had been incredible. No longer was he the brooding, young man who was constantly miserable, but now, he joined in their conversations with enthusiastic comments, and laughed louder than anyone at their table.

Kiba's eyes moved to the entrance of the door and he stiffened. Hinata, feeling the change in her man, glanced up at him, then followed his eyes to find Uchiha Sasuke standing in the doorway, looking their way.

Ino narrowed her eyes. She had hoped that this evening would go smoothly. She and Sakura had finally put all of their rough past behind them, and were now friends, as they should have been before competing for Sasuke. She wasn't going to let him spoil this evening for her friend.

Shikamaru clenched his fists underneath the table, but stayed quiet. He knew that the other male wasn't there for Ino, but he also knew that Ino didn't want the Uchiha any where near Sakura. If that was what his woman wanted, then he would do all that he could to ensure that the man stayed far away from the pink haired woman, even if it was bothersome.

Sasuke smirked as he took in Sakura's appearance. With her hair pulled up, showing off her beautiful neck, and light make-up, she looked stunning. However, when he saw that Naruto was sitting beside Sakura, he frowned.

This was not the way he had envisioned the meeting between him and Sakura. He was going to walk over to her, ask her to dance, and then when they were tired of dancing, he had planned to ask her to take a walk with him and tell her that he chose her to be his lady.

Now, he was going to have to revise his plan. When his eyes met with Naruto's cold ones, he smirked. He was going to enjoy ripping the pink-haired woman away from the fool.

He walked towards the table, and watched as the table grew quiet. He took in a deep breath and when he reached the table, he gently tapped Sakura on her shoulder. When she turned, he smiled down at her and calmly asked, "I was wondering if we might be able to continue our talk from this afternoon?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. That was twice that Sasuke smiled at her, and now, she knew that he was up to something. However, she did promise him and nodded. Turning to Naruto, she quietly whispered, "I'll be right back."

Fighting back the vicious growl that was threatening to escape from his throat, he simply nodded his head and turned his attention to his drink. If the bastard attempted to take her out of the bar, he'd just stop them, and rub the fact that he was her bodyguard in the smug asshole's face. They wouldn't get too far without him.

Taking Sakura's hand, he helped her up and led her over to a table that was in a dark corner of the bar. He motioned for a waitress to come over and after he ordered drinks for the, he waited until they were alone to say, "It's been a long time since you and I sat down and had a conversation."

"We've never sat down and had a conversation, Sasuke." Sakura reminded him, watching the smile turn to a grimace. "The only thing that we ever really did was me chase you, and you brood over everything that went wrong in your life. Oh, and you also liked to tease Naruto, too."

Sasuke was quiet for several moments, and then quietly said, "I've made a lot of mistakes, especially where you are concerned. Some of them were greater than others. I wish that I had been a lot gentler with you, and listened to you when you talked about things that were important to you. To be honest, I was only concerned with avenging my family to listen to anyone. For that, I am sorry."

Sakura blinked. Ok, first he smiles and now he apologizes. May the gods save us all.

Sasuke inwardly smirked when he saw that she had gone still. Sakura was obviously moved by his words. Reaching over, he covered her smaller hand with his own, and watched as her eyes moved to where their hands were resting.

Sakura was now officially confused. What in the hell was going on here? Suddenly, things began to click, and if he was doing what she thought he was doing, then he was going to get his ass handed to him.

"Why are you acting like this?" Sakura demanded, her green eyes narrowed. "Is this some sick attempt to piss Naruto up?"

Sasuke froze. Where in the hell did that come from? He watched as she yanked her hand from his and stood up.

"You know, I know that you are capable of many things, Sasuke. But, if you think, even for a moment, that I'll let you use me to anger Naruto, then you have another think coming." She snapped, and turned to walk back to her table. However, she paused and threw over her shoulder, "Grow up, Sasuke. Stop being such a punk, and move on with your life. We are teammates, and friends, but if you ever pull a stunt like this again, we won't be that."

He watched, stunned, as she sat back down at her table, and shook her head as questions began to fire at her. He clenched his hand around his drink when he saw the blonde idiot help her up and called out a goodnight to their friends. As his teammates left the bar, his eyes moved back over to their table, only to find Kiba and Neji smirking at him, and before he could tell them to mind their own fucking business, the two men flipped him off and grinned.

Throwing his money on the table, he stood up and stormed out of the bar. This wasn't over. It wasn't over until he said it was over. 

* * *

He knew that she was upset, and that Sasuke had been the cause. He was dying to know what had been said, and that whatever it was, had stunned the normally stoic Uchiha.

However, he refused to upset her any further by prodding into whatever had happened. Instead, they walked in silence until they reached her front door. She turned to him and gave him a shaky smile.

"Well, I guess that I'll see you in the morning." She said, and watched as he shook his head.

"Sorry, but I am to stay with you." He said, and fought a large smirk at her expression. "The hokage and the lord want to make sure that you are safe, and so, I am here to stay."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sakura let out a large sigh, and then turned to unlock and open her door. Silently, he walked in behind her and turned to shut the door. However, as the door closed, he caught sight of Sasuke, standing in the shadows, watching them with a furious expression on his face.

Shooting him a large grin, Naruto closed the door and locked it. Taking a deep breath, he moved into the living room, where Sakura was standing and staring at the couch.

"Um, we need to figure out the sleeping arrangements." She mumbled, as a pretty blush spread over her cheeks.

A large part of him wanted to draw the issue out, and enjoy seeing how many different shades of red she could blush, but the gentleman within him replied, "I'll take the couch. This way, I can watch the door and your balcony."

Nodding, Sakura turned and began to walk towards her bedroom. When she stopped, he looked over at her as she turned and quietly said to him, "Good night, Naruto."

Quickly, she turned and walked into her room, closing the door before she heard him say, "Sweet dreams, Sakura."

Grinning, he reached up and yanked off his shirt before stretching out on the couch. He stared out the large, sliding glass door that separated Sakura's living room from the balcony, and he sighed.

Finally, things were starting to heal, and he could almost see a happy ending for himself and Sakura.


	11. Because We Are Friends

He stared at the stone, his fingers tracing over the two names that he would never forget. He knew that he needed to go home and rest, but the past few days had him running through emotions that he had forgotten that he had.

Sakura told him that he was the only one blaming himself for the deaths of Obito and Rin. She said that they had forgiven him and could hear him when he went to their graves, but he knew better.

He knew that he would never be forgiven for their deaths, and even if they could hear him, he seriously doubted that they would forgive him, especially Obito. Before he died, he had asked his good friend, Kakashi, to watch over and protect Rin. But, in the end, Rin died, and he had betrayed Obito by allowing her death.

No, there was no forgiveness. There was no escape from the void that lived within his heart. In his mind, he was guilty of not one, but two deaths.

"I see that you are still wallowing in your self-pity, though I'm not surprised."

Turning to the newcomer, his eyes narrowed dangerously, Kakashi watched as Sakura's new sensei, Akumitsa, approached. The older man held a smirk on his face and stopped a few feet away from him.

"A ninja is born to live and die with blood on their hands and the wind at their back, boy." Akumitsa said, his tone hard. "I know about your former teammates, and to be honest, I can't think of anything that you could have done differently, except die, yourself.

Kakashi turned his back to the man and said, "This is none of your business."

Akumitsa chuckled and calmly replied, "Oh, but it is. You see, I see a lot of myself in you. The only exception is that I refuse to blame myself when I did the best damn job I was capable of. Can you honestly say that your teammates would have done things differently? If they had, perhaps instead of two, there would be three people to mourn."

Turning on his heel, Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked past the old ninja. However, he stopped when the older man reached out and gripped his upper arm, causing him to stop.

"Despite what you think, you were correct in your actions." Akumitsa said. "Don't you think that you have lived with the 'what ifs' long enough? When are you going to grow up and stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your control?"

"It's because of me that they lost their lives." Kakashi snarled, his dark eye glaring into the soft brown of the man before him.

"No, they lost their lives honorably, and in battle." Akumitsa replied. "It is every ninja's goal, at least the good ones, to die honorably. Do not take their honor away by feeling sorry for yourself, or blame yourself. No one blames you, except for you, and because of that, your teachings to your own students were at the very least, pitiful."

Letting go of Kakashi's arm, the old man walked forward to pay his own respects to his own teammates, friends who he buried so long ago. Kakashi turned to walk away, but Akumitsa's voice reached his ears.

"People die, copy ninja. But that doesn't mean that the living should stop living. But, if you are going to continue to live with your regrets, then that means that their sacrifices were in vain, then you would have betrayed them."

Spinning around on his heel, and ready to tell the old man to mind his fucking business, Kakashi froze when he saw that the area was empty. Glancing around, he tried to find the old man, but was unable find him anywhere.

Reaching up, he scratched the back of his neck and shook his head. He really needed to get some sleep. But, he couldn't help but think about the old man's words. Was he right? Was it possible that he had been wrong all of these years? Was he betraying his teammates' memory by constantly mourning the loss of their companionship?

Walking into the night, he began to question his own reasons for blaming himself. Perhaps if he stopped feeling guilty, then he would have to accept that he had been weak and unable to save them. But, it would also mean that he would have to accept that they were really gone, and he was left behind. Alone.

* * *

The morning sun hit Sakura's eyes and she groaned. Sleep, for her, had been elusive and she found herself staring up at her ceiling for several hours, until finally, her body gave in and allowed her to rest.

She could hear Naruto moving around in the living room, and she bit her lip. She couldn't believe that he was actually speaking to her, even though it was forced, and he was actually being nice to her. She couldn't help but feel a bit saddened that for him to talk to her, it had to be because he was ordered to be around her.

Shaking her head, she got up and went into the bathroom to shower. Once she was cleaned, dried, and dressed, she opened her door and was hit by the scent of something burning.

She rushed into her kitchen to find Naruto, standing over her sink, waving his hand over a burning pan. She smiled as she heard him softly curse the burned bacon, and watched as his head turned towards her when he finally noticed her presence.

"Hey," Naruto said, a smile lighting up his handsome features, "I was just making us some breakfast, but I am thinking that instead, I'd like to treat you to breakfast out, ok?"

Nodding, she smiled, missing the way his face softened and his eyes took in her form, and said, "Sure. That sounds great."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Naruto quickly cleaned up his mess, and then grabbed his jacket. Moving over to the door, he opened it and said, "After you."

Sakura giggled at the sight of him bowing and walked out the door, and watched as he locked it behind them. Then, the pair began walking. As they walked, Naruto grew uncomfortable with the silence and suddenly asked, "So, how are things going with valley?"

Sakura was stunned. Despite all that she had done for Konoha and valley, no one had bothered to ask how things were going with valley. All most people cared about was if the money was going to continue to pour in, or not.

"Things are going really well." She said, her eyes darting over to peek at his face. "In fact, I am leaving next week for a week-long festival that they hold every year. It's supposed to be a lot of fun."

"I bet that they will have lots of good things to eat." Naruto said, dreamily. Glancing down at the girl beside him, he said, "I can't wait until it's time to go."

Sakura turned confused eyes up to meet his blue ones, and he grinned. "I'm your bodyguard, remember? I've got to go everywhere with you." He explained, grinning.

Shaking her head, Sakura couldn't help the grin that formed on her lips, and she nodded. "I think that they would really like you." She replied, thoughtfully.

When Naruto finally stopped walking, Sakura looked up to find them standing in front of the ramen shack, with a wide grin upon Naruto's face.

Silently groaning, and inner Sakura mumbling that she's rather eat a pair of moldy socks, she followed the blonde ninja into the shack and listened as Naruto gave the owner's daughter their order.

They made some small talk, but stopped when Sasuke entered the shack and began to head over to where they were sitting. He didn't even wait to be invited, and sat down beside Sakura, his dark eyes appreciative of her outfit.

She had chosen a simple, white sun dress, and her hair was pulled up into an attractive twist, accenting her beautiful neck and shoulders.

His eyes darted over to Naruto, who was currently glaring at him, and silently warning him not to make any sort of moves on their female teammate. It was also clear to the Uchiha that Naruto was staking his claim over the pink-haired woman, and that was something that he could not allow.

Sakura could feel the tension between the two men and sighed. It was just like old times. Both seemed intent on proving the other to be weaker, though she really didn't see the point in it, anymore. Both were ANBU, and both were well respected in the village. So, what was their deal, now?

When their bowls were placed in front of them, Sakura quickly began to eat, mostly because she was starved, and only stopped when she realized that she was the only one eating. Naruto's mouth was twisted into a scowl, while Sasuke's mouth was in a hard line.

"What is up with the two of you?" She asked, no longer being able to stand the uncomfortable silence. "The both of you are acting as if you are still competing with each other. Knock it off."

Neither male relied to her. In fact, they only glared at each other harder. Sighing in frustration, she slumped down in her seat, and crossed her arms, waiting for the explosion that she was sure would come.

However, she was saved when a feminine voice called out, "Sakura!"

She looked over to see Temari and Kankuro standing a few feet away, waving at her. Standing up, she decided not to tell them where she was going. Besides, she doubted that they would even notice that she had left the table, anyways.

Walking over to the young woman, she smiled and asked, "What brings the two of your here?"

Kankuro smirked as he watched the tension at Sakura's table rise, and he said, "If you ladies will excuse me, I am going over to make sure that they don't wind up killing each other."

Both women nodded, and Temari said, "Gaara wanted me to extend his apologies for missing your meeting, yesterday. Lady Tsunade and Lord Akio met with him and the elder from valley to map out some sort of alliance, and from what he said last night, the new alliance will be a strong one, thank goodness."

"I'm glad." Sakura replied, smiling. "It's time that we join forces to prevent needless violence, especially from those who seek to destroy our homes."

Temari cringed as the memory of when Suna joined with Sound, in order to destroy Konoha. Despite knowing that they had been deceived, and had made amends to Konoha, she still felt horrible and terribly guilty, especially since the Hokage before Lady Tsunade lost his life in the battle. Had Suna not joined in, then the war might not have happened.

Sakura saw that Temari was lost in her thoughts, and knew exactly what she was thinking. Reaching out, she placed her hand on the older girl's arm and softly said, "Suna didn't know that they were being used. No one blames your village for anything, Temari. Honest."

Taking a deep breath, Temari smiled. "Yes, well, Gaara has requested that you join him for the meeting that you were supposed to have yesterday. He is in the gardens by the training grounds." She said.

Glancing over her shoulder and seeing that her teammates were now on their feet, their hands clenched, she looked over at Temari, who nodded in understanding. "You go on." She said, grinning. "Kankuro and I will make sure that they behave themselves, I promise."

Shooting the girl a grateful smile and a whispered thanks, she quickly left the shack and headed straight to the gardens.

Temari watched as the girl left, and shook her head. Suddenly, something sailed past her head, and plopped on the wall right beside her. Staring at the mess on the wall, she narrowed her eyes and found that it was ramen.

Glancing back at the table, both Naruto and Sasuke had handfuls of the noodles, and were ready to launch the handfuls at the other, while Kankuro sat between them, covered in the noodles, broth, and pork that had been Sakura's breakfast.

Rolling her eyes, Temari began to walk over to the table and clenched her fist. Someone was going to get it.

* * *

Sakura took in a deep breath, and smiled. She had forgotten about this place, but was glad that Gaara had chosen it as the place to meet her. As she walked through the blooming garden, she quickly found the new kazekage sitting on a bench, clearly waiting for her.

As soon as he heard her footsteps, he quickly stood and waited for her to join him beside the bench.

"Good afternoon, kazekage." She said, giving a respectful bow.

Gaara tilted his head towards her, and then motioned for her to sit down. Once they were seated comfortably, he said, "Temari explained to you as to why I was unable to make it to our meeting."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sakura nodded, and waited for him to continue. The man beside her stared out before him, and after a few moments of silence, he calmly said, "I don't remember much of the last time I was here, but I know that I caused a lot of damage."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, but then shook her head. "No, your beast did that. We all know that you were not responsible for its actions. Hell, I think that you were strong to hold him off for as long as you did." She replied, and reached over to pat his arm, just like she had done with Temari.

The man beside her turned his head and looked at her. "Are we friends, Sakura?" He asked, his green eyes staring intently into hers.

At first, she didn't know what to say. She knew that the only people he had to talk to was his brother and sister. Everyone else was scared to death of him, despite the fact that his beast was no longer in charge. The Akatsuki saw to that.

Her mind made up, she gave him a brilliant smile and nodded. "Yes, I would like to think that we are friends." She affirmed. After all, if anyone knew what it felt like not to have friends, it would be her.

Gaara's eyes brightened for a second, but then went back to the same dull green that she was used to seeing. His eyes moved over the garden before them and together, they sat in silence, enjoying the gentle breeze that caressed their bodies.

After several minutes, Sakura asked, "So, did you want to discuss the meeting that was held yesterday? I know that our original meeting was to discuss an alliance, but now, I am sure that you were able to accomplish that all by yourself."

Gaara nodded. "The meeting was very productive. Suna will soon be enjoying the benefits of being in an alliance with Konoha and the other participants. However, I have requested that you be our ambassador." He said, his tone stoic.

Sakura's eyebrow lifted. He wanted her to be the ambassador to his village? Goodness, that would mean that she might have to pull out of going on missions, due to the fact that she would be so busy with the villages.

Gaara nodded when he took in her expression. "Do not worry. Temari will also be our representative, and will come to which ever village you are, so you will not have to travel to Suna, as much." He explained, a smirk upon his face.

Sakura giggled and then gently nudged the young kazekage's arm. "Well, you've thought of everything, haven't you?" She asked.

The young man nodded. "Of course. That is how I have survived for as long as I have." He agreed.

Shaking her head, she sighed. It amazed her that a man who was once so brutal could talk to her as if she were his equal. But, she jumped when his warm hand covered hers.

Glancing over at him, she found that he was watching her intently. His hand was much larger than hers and gently squeezed her hand, as he quietly said, "I know what happened with you and the fox. I also know that Lord Akio has asked you to marry him, and has even gone to your hokage for permission to court you. Is it your wish to be courted?"

Sakura cringed a bit, and then sighed. "I honestly don't know." She replied, her eyes staring straight ahead. "Sometimes, I think that perhaps it would before the best if I did leave, and let Naruto move on with his life, and move on with mine, as well. But, there are other times when I just can't bear to think about being with someone who I don't love."

Gaara was silent for several minutes, but then said, "If it is your wish not to marry, then let me know and I will challenge Lord Akio for your hand."

Sakura's eyes were wide, and she timidly asked, "Why would you do that?"

"Because we are friends."

* * *

Naruto stormed down the streets of Konoha, looking everywhere for Sakura. He was in a really bad mood, mostly because of Sasuke.

The bastard was doing his best to try and come between him and Sakura, and when he told the spoiled brat to back the hell off, the asshole flipped him off before grabbing Sakura's bowl and attempting to fling some of the contents on him, but ended up getting the noodles all over Kankuro, instead.

He, in retailiation, grabbed a bunch of his own noodles, and flung it at Sasuke, but the asshole ducked and it hit the wall beside Temari, only missing her head by mere inches. So, both he and Sasuke grabbed handfuls of noodles, and were about to launch them at each other until Temari came over and smacked the taste out of both of their mouths.

And, to make matters worse, his cheek still stung. However, once she had calmed down, and Sasuke left for lord-knows-where, Temari explained to him that Gaara had wanted to speak to Sakura, and so, that was where she went.

However, Temari failed to tell him exactly where they were meeting, and so, he had to search the village for her. But, luck was smiling down upon him, because he caught sight of Kiba and Akamaru.

Yelling his friend's name, the pair stopped and waited for the blonde to catch up, both wrinkling their noses as the smell of ramen and broth hit their senses.

"Fuck, Naruto! Did you decide to take a bath in that offensive shit?" Kiba growled, his eyes narrowing.

Flipping the dog ninja off, he knelt down beside Akamaru and asked, "Will you please help me find Sakura? I sort of lost her, and I really need to find her."

The large dog cocked his head to the side, but then turned and began to sniff the ground, looking for Sakura's scent. Kiba fell into step with his friend and asked, "So, you lost her?"

"It's all Sasuke's fault." Naruto grumbled, his hand stuffed in his pocket. "He showed up while we were having breakfast, and all hell broke loose. I'm just glad that Temari got her the hell out of there, before we started our very own food fight. Kankuro wasn't so lucky."

Kiba smirked. "So, did the Uchiha say anything to you?" He asked, eager for answers. Ever since the bar, he and Neji were trying to keep tabs on the Uchiha brat, but were coming up empty, as far as information went.

Naruto shook his head. "Basically, he bragged about how he was going to take Sakura away from me, and that I've made it easy for him by pushing her away." He growled. But, then his shoulders slumped. "Maybe I did push her away. To be honest, I was really angry over her hitting me all the time, but I think that I am beginning to understand why she did it. Like me, she was constantly teased, mainly over her forehead, but when her family died, she had no one to turn to, and no one to tell her how to deal with members of the opposite sex. Maybe if I had looked beyond the anger, I could have helped her."

"Nah, you can't hold yourself accountable for her actions, even if you do love her." Kiba replied, his tone lazy. "Sakura is one of those women who need a strong man to deal with their fucked up issues. Uchiha would never be able to take care of her the way she needs to be taken care of. You, on the other hand, can. And, you love her, and have loved her since you were kids. Now, she recognizes that, and wants you just as much as you want her."

Naruto shot Kiba a look that told the dog ninja he didn't believe his words, but when the dog ninja put his hand on his arm, Naruto froze.

Kiba knew that he shouldn't be saying this, but it was time someone told Naruto just how Sakura felt, even if the young woman wasn't going to do it, herself. Taking in a deep breath, he said, "Look, Uzamaki. Sakura loves you, even if she doesn't say it. I know this because Hinata has told me what Sakura has said. Apparently, when she realized that she had fallen in love with you, she was horrified at all that she had done to you. It was because of you that she began to change, and I must say, it is for the better."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me all of this? Won't Hinata be angry at you for telling me what she said to you?" He demanded, though he was secretly pleased at what he was just told. This piece of information just confirmed that he and Sakura were meant to be together.

Kiba shrugged. He glanced over at Naruto and gave the blonde a lop-sided grin, "Because you are my friend."

* * *

Sasuke slammed his door and cursed as loud as he could. Damn that fucking Naruto. Didn't he know that he was getting in the way of true love? Hell, if anyone deserved to be with Sakura, it was he. That woman would be an Uchiha, and he would not settle for anything less. But, Naruto was becoming more than a nuisance, he was getting to be a pain in his ass.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that Naruto had most of the village's support, and that there were bets on how long it took for the pair to get together. Well, he wouldn't let their union happen. In fact, he would do all that he could do to turn Sakura's eyes toward him.

Now, all he needed was a plan, and it needed to be a really good one.


	12. Words Between Friends

Sakura stared at the young man beside her, but then sighed. "Gaara, I appreciate the offer, but I can't ask you to do that. I know that you are trying to help, but I can't keep running away from my problems, just because there is someone willing to take care of me."

Gaara shook his head and calmly said, "You misunderstand me. I am simply offering to fight the man to free you from this absurd marriage proposal. I have no intentions on marrying, nor do I desire any kind of relationship other than friendship. My life is too complicated to bring an innocent woman into it."

Sakura allowed a sigh of relief to escape her lips and then smiled. "Ah, I understand, now." She said, chuckling. "I was afraid that I was going to have yet another person to have to fend off."

The young kazekage's mouth quirked up a bit, but then frowned. "Besides the lord, who else is bothering you?" He asked, his tone demanding.

"Well, for some reason, Sasuke is starting to come around me, and last night, he came to the bar where Naruto and I were talking with friends, and he asked to talk to me. Then, he started to act weird." Sakura murmured. "For goodness sake's, he actually smiled. That, in itself, is highly unusual."

Garra's eyes hardened, and he was silent for several moments. However, his thoughts were broken when a loud voice called out, "THERE YOU ARE!"

Both kazekage and ambassador turned to see a breathless Naruto, followed by Kiba and Akamaru, running towards them, his face pinched.

When he came to a stop, he looked down on Sakura and said, "You should not have left without me. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Sakura blushed and was about to explain when Gaara stood up and calmly replied, "I asked to speak with her about matters regarding my village. It is my fault that she left, and I accept full blame for any irritation you have gone through."

Reaching back to scratch his head, Naruto's face broke out into a large grin and he said, "Nah, don't worry about it. She just gave me a bit of a shock. Thankfully, my buddies, here, were able to track her down."

Gaara silently nodded over to the dog ninja and his partner, before turning to Sakura and bowing. "I'm afraid that I must leave. I have issues that I need to attend to before we leave for Suna." He said, as he stared down into her eyes.

Sakura nodded, and was about to get up to bow to him, but his hand gently landed on her shoulder and he quietly said, "Remember, Sakura. My offer is still open."

Sakura bit her lip and nodded, before watching the young man turn away and stroll towards town. When he was out of sight, Naruto plopped down beside her and gave her a stern glare.

"In the future, I would appreciate it if you would inform me when you go somewhere." He said, his tone gruff. "It's my job to make sure that you are safe, and I can't do that if you are not there for me to keep you safe."

The blush on Sakura's face told him that she received the message loud and clear. But, before she could reply, Kiba cleared his throat and said, "Well, you kiddies have a good day. Akamaru and I have to go meet up with Hinata so we can go over plans for our wedding."

Giving the couple a wave and a grin, Kiba and Akamaru took off. When they were gone, Naruto glanced over at Sakura and smiled.

"So, what do you want to do, today?" He asked, his earlier irritation long gone. He watched as a small smile formed on her lips, and she replied, "I'd like to go and get some flowers. I need to visit my parent's graves."

Naruto nodded, and stood up. He held out his hand, and nearly chuckled when Sakura gave it a funny look. Finally, she took his hand, and allowed him to lift her to her feet. Soon, they were on their way to Ino's shop, and once they had the flowers, along with some village gossip, they were on their way to the final resting place of the village's fallen ninja.

Naruto stood several feet away, watching with protective eyes as Sakura gently laid out her flowers, then settling down beside the graves, and began to talk.

He couldn't hear much of what she was saying, but he did catch her saying that she was finally happy. He had to admit, she looked much happier.

Once she was done with her parents, she moved over to the graves of Kakashi-sensei's friends, and placed flowers on their graves, before settling down and talking to them.

"More flowers?" Kakashi asked, as he came up behind Naruto to stand at his side. When the younger ninja looked at him, he noticed that Kakashi wasn't staring at the graves, but at Sakura.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes wide and curious. It was rare for Kakashi-sensei to visit the graves when there were other people around.

Kakashi did not answer, but simply kept staring at the two graves that bore his friends' names. When he saw Sakura stand up, and brush off her dress, he moved forward, ignoring Naruto.

When he got within a few feet of her, he inclined his head and said, "Sakura."

"Kakashi-sensei." She replied, giving her own nod. The man didn't move, and when Naruto joined Sakura, the older man quietly said, "It's taken so long, but I think that I owe it to them to move on, even if that means accepting their deaths, and accepting that I was powerless to stop it."

The two younger ninjas stared at the man, who held so many secrets, yet hardly ever revealed any. For him to say this to them, it was monumental.

"Rin and Obito have been such a huge part of my life, especially after they died, that I suppose I felt that if I continued to feel guilty over losing them, then I would not have to accept that they were really gone." He said, his eyes never straying from the graves.

"I think that it is time that I said goodbye."

Sakura and Naruto watched with wide eyes as the man strolled forward, intent on following through with his decision.

Tugging on Naruto's arm, and gaining his attention, Sakura whispered, "Let's go. He needs to do this by himself."

The blonde nodded and allowed the young woman to lead him out of the area, but he did look back to see their former sensei kneeling in front of the graves. It was sad to see such a strong man mourn. Perhaps that is why Sakura wanted to leave. She wanted Kakashi to have his dignity.

They walked around the village for a while, and then Sakura noticed the time. Spinning on her heel, she found herself nose-to-chest with Naruto and then said, "I totally forgot. I've got to meet with Tsunade-sensei and go over the plans for next week's festival in valley."

Naruto grinned and took her hand. "Come on. I know of a short-cut." He said, as he pulled her along.

They ran, passing by several villagers, who began to whisper at the sight of the pair holding hands. It was clear to the villagers that the two young ninjas managed to come to terms with how they felt and were now acting on it.

Naruto was aware of just how soft Sakura's hand was in his, and he grinned. He couldn't help but imagine if she were this soft all over.

Sakura followed Naruto, and found herself slamming into his back when he came to a sudden stop. When she stepped back, she found that he was looking over his shoulder at her. "Are you ok?" He asked, watching as she rubbed her sore nose.

When he received a nod, he tightened his grip on her hand, and led her inside the large building, where the hokage's office was located. Not once did he let her hand go, not even when he saw Lord Akio's small group standing in front of the office door.

One of the young men, the one Sakura recognized as Masaharu's younger brother, stepped forward and snapped, "Where in the hell have you been? They've been waiting on you."

Naruto growled, and stepped in front of Sakura. "Don't speak to her like that, asshole." He snapped. He let go of Sakura's hand and quickly got into a defensive stance, as did the other man before him.

"Now gentlemen." The dark haired young man, who Sakura recognized as the man Satchi warned her about, "We must be civil, especially in front of such beautiful ladies." As he spoke, his hand wandered down and lovingly stroked Satchi's bottom, who in turn smacked him so hard that he ended up with a handprint on his face.

Before either man could reply, the door opened and Shizune stepped out. She smiled and nodded at Sakura. "You can come in. They are waiting on you." She said, cheerfully. When the younger woman entered, the dark haired female's smile vanished and she softly said, "Control yourselves. We can hear you in there."

Both men grumbled, and Naruto made his way over to a chair that was no where near the other group. Crossing his arms, he settled down to wait for Sakura to come back out.

Inside the office, Tsunade grinned at Sakura. "Well, as you know, next week is the festival in valley. You, of course, will be there and join in the celebration." She said, cheerfully.

Masaharu nodded. "Indeed. Your guard will also attend, as a precaution." He said, his tone bored. He didn't miss the sparkle that appeared in her eyes when he mentioned his guard. Mentally sighing, he glanced over at Tsunade and gave a small nod.

The game was now lost. It was clear to him that the girl could not be swayed from what her heart wanted, and what it wanted was the loud-mouthed, uncouth, brat that was sitting in the next room, with his companions.

Strange. He had never been passed over before, and for this girl to look at another with such loving eyes, rather than him, was unconceivable. However, he was a man of his word and would never force himself upon the young woman.

However, he was an opportunist. Should the boy toss her aside, he would easily agree to take her, but unfortunately, from what his people have told him, that simply wasn't going to happen. The boy was just as smitten as the girl was.

Tsunade smiled and shook her head. She was thrilled that Sakura and Naruto was getting along so well, even though her old friend had mentioned wanting Sakura for himself. Of course, it was only because he needed a strong woman beside him, but she knew that Naruto's reasons for wanting Sakura were purely unselfish. The boy wanted her because he loved her. It was as simple as that.

Clearing her throat, she gave Sakura an apologetic look. "Unfortunately, I was only able to secure one room for you and Naruto, so the two of you will have to share the room." Tsunade said, hoping that she was coming across as apologetic. It was a drastic measure, but necessary if these two knuckleheads were ever going to move beyond shy glances, and timid words.

What they needed was a night of pure, unadulterated passion. And, as loath as she was to admit it, so did she. However, she would rather see her pupil happy, than herself.

When Sakura's shock began to fade, she took in a deep breath and asked, "There will be two beds in the room, right?"

Tsunade nearly burst into laughter at the panicked expression on Sakura's face, but she managed to keep her face still and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no. There is one bed, and the floors are extremely cold. You and Naruto will simply have to share." She replied.

Sakura took in a deep breath, then let it out. Somehow, she just knew something like this was going to happen. She didn't want Naruto uncomfortable, but she had to go to valley. It was expected of her, and she couldn't say no, just because she didn't want Naruto to have to be near her any longer than what he had to. Oh, how was she going to explain this to him?

When given leave to go about her daily activities, Sakura left the office and looked over at Naruto, who was in a glaring contest with the lord's younger brother. It seemed as if Naruto made a new friend. But, when she cleared her throat, the young man blinked then jumped up to move over to where she was standing.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, his blue eyes wide with concern. "You don't look like you feel well."

Sakura gulped and quietly mumbled that she just wanted to go home. "Ok, let's go on back to your apartment, but first, I need to get some things from mine." He said, his arm wrapping around Sakura, making sure that if she passed out, which was a great possibility judging from her lack of color, he would already have a firm grip on her, and he could carry her.

As they walked from the office, Naruto couldn't help but think about that night he shared with Sakura, in her bed, while she was under the influence of the drugs from her attack. For him, he had never been so happy, even though she had not been able to enjoy the closeness with him.

He kept his hold on the woman, and when they reached his apartment, he unlocked the door and pulled her inside, making sure to keep her close to him. Once the door closed behind them, he gently picked her up and moved her over to his bed, telling her to relax while he got his things ready.

Sakura watched as he disappeared into his closet, and closed her eyes. How in the world was she going to tell him that he would have to share a bed with her, the woman who battered him throughout their teens? Sure, he seemed friendlier now, but she didn't know why.

Naruto came to the door of his bedroom and looked over at Sakura. She was clearly asleep, and he smiled at the sight she made. She had curled onto her side, with both of her hands tucked beneath her head. Of course, all that was missing was him being behind her, sharing his body heat with her.

Shaking his head and mentally scolding himself for thinking such things, he walked over and pulled the comforter over her, before smoothing back the small wisps of hair that had fallen into her eyes. The girl stirred for a moment, but then settled.

Standing to his full height, his attention was caught by loud knocking on his door. Cursing under his breath, he quickly left the room, closed the door behind him, and walked to the door, ready to snap at the one who dared to disturb him.

When he flung the door open, he was shocked to find Sasuke standing there, his arms folded tightly over his chest.

"We need to talk, dobe." The Uchiha snapped, not bothering to wait for an invitation to come in. Naruto growled low in his throat and closed the door.

The dark-haired young man didn't bother to mince words. "Don't interfere with me and Sakura." He said, his tone dark. "I want her, and I will have her. You are not good enough for her, so quit trying to act as if you are."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, and then chuckled. "I'm the one not good enough for her?" He asked. "Perhaps you have mistaken me for yourself. I am not interfering with you and Sakura. She has made her choice as far as who she wants, and buddy, it isn't you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto's calm demeanor. He was used to dealing with a brash, loud, and careless Naruto, but this Naruto made him nervous.

"She needs someone who can help her in her duties as ambassador. She also needs someone who can give her children who are not cursed with that damn kyuubi." He snapped, his eyes challenging.

Shaking his head, Naruto replied, "First of all, I am cursed with the kyuubi. Any children I have will only inherit the strength, not the monster. Second, Sakura does just fine in her duties as ambassador and won't appreciate someone coming in, trying to further his own agendas by using her clout. No, my friend. I simply want the woman. You, on the other hand will tolerate the woman, just so you can get your hands on her power, and the children she could produce for you. Your sharnigan with her strength. No one would dare threaten the Uchihas. That, Sasuke, is what you want Sakura for."

"Perhaps." Sasuke affirmed. "But, I can give her luxury, and a stable home. You can't give that to her. Look at how you live, now. You don't have that much furniture to begin with, and what you do have, is torn up or in serious need of replacing. Do you honestly think that she would agree to live in such a hovel."

Naruto shrugged. "It would be her choice." He replied. "But, don't think that just because I live the way I do, I don't have money. Unlike yourself, I tend to save what I earn, building it up so that one day, I can use it when I need it. I don't need to impress other people to make myself feel good, like you. I'm perfectly happy with my life. Can you say the same, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha glared over at the man, but then brushed past him and to the door. Pausing at the door, he turned and calmly said, "As far as I am concerned, you are still nothing more than a loser. You always have been, and you always will be. It doesn't matter what you do in your life, you will still be the same pathetic, foolish, punk that you were when you were a kid. The only difference now is that you are bigger."

Smirking, Naruto replied, "And you are just as much, if not more, of an asshole as you were when you were a kid. You are also quite pathetic and I can't help but feel sorry for you. I'm sorry that you have this need to prove yourself better than me, and are simply now trying to use Sakura to drive home that fact. However, don't think for one second that I'm going to give you the chance to hurt her in your pursuit of greatness. I'd kill you before I'd ever let that happen, got it?"

Snorting, Sasuke opened the door and slammed it as hard as he could on his way out. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he began to walk in the direction of his home. His plan of trying to shake Naruto's confidence didn't work as well as he had hoped, so he would have to come up with something else.

He turned the corner, and found himself face to face with the new kazekage, himself. Gaara narrowed his eyes as he recognized Uchiha Sasuke. Turning his head, he said to his siblings, "Go on without me. I'd like to have a word with the Uchiha."

Temari and Kankuro nodded. They didn't bother to spare the young man glances, and quickly got away before their younger brother began to speak.

Sasuke glared at the man before him, but waited for him to speak. Gaara stepped back from the man and calmly said, "You will cease any kind of interference between Sakura and Naruto."

"Butt the fuck out." Sasuke snapped, forgetting that Gaara's sand was just as dangerous at the man, himself.

Gaara was unimpressed by the man's bravado. Instead, he simply said, "She is not meant for you, and if you should try to take her from the one she loves, I'll deal with you myself."

Without waiting for a reply, Gaara moved around the man and followed the path that his brother and sister took. Part of him wanted Sasuke to ignore his warning. It had been too long since his sand was able to play.

Sasuke glared at the ground, but then began to stomp towards his home. He only got a few feet before he recognized the silhouette of Hyuuga Neji. He didn't bother to acknowledge the man, but when he was a few feet away, Neji asked, "How many more people are going to tell you to leave Sakura and Naruto alone before you listen?"

"I am getting really sick of everyone butting into my business." Sasuke snapped. He glared over at Neji, but was shocked to see Kiba and Shikamaru appear beside him.

Neji pushed away from the wall and turned to look at Sasuke fully. "You can have any woman you want in this village, and yet, you go after the one woman your teammate loves. How much lower can you get?"

Kiba nodded. "We will not let you hurt either of them, and if we have to be the ones to take you out, then I'm game."

Sasuke began to move towards the men, but froze. Glancing over at the men, he noticed that Shikamaru had invoked his famous shadow manipulation jutsu, and was currently holding him still.

"As you can see, we are not unable to stop you." Neji said, acknowledging Sasuke's surprised expression. "In fact, if we have to, we will make sure that you disappear for a while, just so Naruto and Sakura may have the peace they so richly deserve."

"Let me go." Sasuke gritted out, and was relieved when Shikamaru complied. However, the lazy genius said, "The next time, I won't be so generous. Leave them be."

Glaring at the three men, Sasuke quickly performed a jutsu and then disappeared fight before their eyes. Once he was gone, Kiba turned to Neji and asked, "Do you think that he got the message?"

Shikamaru was the one who answered. "Oh, he got it, and he isn't happy. My guess is that we will have to be careful and on our toes. He won't go down quietly."

Neji nodded and then waved when he saw Tenten, along with Hinata and Ino walking towards them. The girls had wanted to go shopping and left their men behind as they went into the various shops. Each were holding at least two bags, and he just knew that they would want the men to carry them.

Sure enough, when the girls reached them, they held out the bags. The men glanced at each other, before sighing and Shikamaru grumbled, "What a drag." as they took the bags.

As the women talked, the men were lost in their own thoughts of how to undermine the Uchiha's efforts. They knew that they had to be ready, or else, there was going to be a lot of trouble.

* * *

Naruto had finished packing, though he could not help but think about Sasuke's words. To be honest, the man's words had stung, and though he knew it was just sour grapes on Sasuke's part, it still hurt to know that he was still thought of as a loser.

When he heard his bedroom door open, he quickly turned to greet Sakura, who walked out of the room, rubbing her eyes. When she noticed that his eyes were upon her, she smiled sheepishly and said, "I guess I was more tired than I thought that I was."

"It's ok. I'm all packed and ready to go." Naruto announced. He flung his pack over his shoulder, and held out his hand for Sakura to take. "Ready to go?"

Sakura stared at his hand for a moment, but then lifted her own hand to grasp his. "Yes, I'm ready." She replied.

Grinning down at her, Naruto led her to the door and opened it. Once they were outside, he locked the door and turned back to her. "Well, let's go back to your place and see what we can cook up for dinner." He said, and grinned even wider when she nodded.

As they walked, Naruto dismissed the cruel words spoken to him by Sasuke. If he was such a loser, then Sakura wouldn't want anything to do with him. He would not let Sasuke bring him down, nor would he allow the man to come between him and Sakura. Believe it!


	13. It's all In Your Mind

The walk to Sakura's apartment was a silent one, but Naruto didn't mind. Instead, he was focused on how he was going to deal with Sasuke, and if he would need to include some blood-shed. Knowing Sasuke...probably.

Sakura, too, was lost in her thoughts. She was trying to figure out how she was going to drop the bomb on Naruto, that they would have to share a bed. In her mind, she had played out different scenarios, and in all of them, Naruto's face held nothing but disgust and his words anything but understanding. She shivered slightly as the final scenario played itself out, and in that one, Naruto had left the room, telling her that he never wanted to look at her again, and that he quit as her bodyguard.

Naruto felt her shiver, and glanced down at the woman beside him. She looked sad, and he bit his lip, deciding to wait until they were behind closed doors to find out what was bothering her, so that he could fix it. Sakura should never frown. Now that he was ready to move forward with her, he would do his best to ensure that all she had on her face was a loving smile. Preferably directed up at him.

When they finally arrived, Naruto gently took the key from Sakura's hand, and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he watched as Sakura entered the apartment and then walked in behind her, then quickly locked the door behind them.

Placing his bag down beside the door, he reached out and firmly took Sakura's hand in his own, and led her over to the couch. Sitting her down, he crouched in front of her, and asked, "What is wrong? Why are you so upset?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the time to tell him had arrived, but she couldn't help but remember all the different ways her mind had conjured up, that he would take the news. None of them had been good.

His eyes narrowed, and he recognized what she was doing. When they were younger, whenever Sakura wanted to get out of an uncomfortable situation, she would fidget and mumble incoherently, until the one asking her the questions grew agitated and told her to never mind. Iruka-sensei could attest to that.

Well, it wasn't going to work on him. Not this time, and never again. If they were going to move forward, they had to be able to tell the other anything and everything on their mind, even if it was bad. And, he could tell that this was bad, or at least, she thought it was.

She peeked at him through her eyelashes, and then sighed when she saw that he wasn't going to go away. In fact, he seemed bound and determined to hear what was bothering her, and if she knew Naruto, he wouldn't go away until he until he found out what he wanted to know.

In the old days, she could just threaten him with bodily violence, and he would let it drop, especially with her, but now, she would never dream of threatening him, and could only hope that he would take pity on her and let her stew about what was bothering her. However, this was not the old days, and he was still waiting for an answer.

He was about to demand an answer from her, but stopped when she cleared her throat. She lifted her eyes to meet his, and then softly said, "Tsunade-sensei told me that we will be leaving for valley shortly, and that she was sorry, but she could only secure one room."

Naruto cocked his head. THIS was what was upsetting her? They bunked down many times, together, in the same room on different occasions, so why was she worried about this time?

Seeing that he wasn't grasping what she was getting at, she inwardly cursed herself when a blush spread across her cheeks, and she cursed him when his eyes widened, meaning that he saw the blush.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and said, "She also said that the room would only hold one bed, and that will mean that you and I will have to share it."

There. She said it and now, she would have to deal with the fireworks that she knew would follow.

"Is that it?"

Popping her eyes open, she stared at Naruto, and nodded. The man before her smiled and reached over to pat her head.

"Ok." He said, his eyes twinkling with relief. He thought what she had to say was going to be something serious, like Sasuke was going with them, and that this had become a team effort to protect her. "I get the side by the window."

Blinking, Sakura felt him stand up and move away, while she stared at the spot he had been sitting in. That was it? Where was the explosion? Where was the curse words, and demands that they figure something else out for the sleeping arrangement?

And, did he just say he got the side by the window? That was the side she liked.

Wait, she was getting off the track. Who cared about which side they slept on, though inner Sakura kept grumbling that she wanted the window side, what she needed to figure out was why he wasn't as upset at the situation as she thought he should be. Did he forget what she had done to him, over and over again?

When she heard whistling coming from her kitchen, she slumped in her seat and sighed. Well, this was anticlimactic, and she probably just gave her self a few pimples from the stress of worrying about his reaction.

Poking his head out of the kitchen, he grinned at her, and cheerfully asked, "How about some chicken with rice?"

When he saw her nod, he pulled his head back into the kitchen and smirked. The fates loved him and were now providing him a way of showing Sakura just how badly he wanted her. In fact, he had decided to use this vacation to valley and the festival to show her his intentions, and if that didn't work, then he would simply tell her.

But now, he had a better way of handling the situation. By sleeping next to her, he could hold her, and watch her as she slept, just like the night he first stayed with her, when she was ill. Except this time, she would know that he was there, and he would ensure that she thought of him, and only him.

Sasuke, who?

Humming to himself, he set to work and grinned when Sakura joined him in the kitchen and began to chop up some vegetables to go with their dinner. This was the way things were supposed to be. And, if he had his way, after they returned from valley, this is the way they would be for the rest of their lives.

He could almost see his dreams of a life with Sakura becoming reality, and all he had to do was reach out and take charge to see things through. 

* * *

The rest of the week went by quickly and found Naruto and Sakura packed and on their way to valley. As they walked, Sakura answered all of Naruto's questions patiently and smiled when he started to talk about all the delicious food. It seemed that even though they were adults, now, Naruto was still the endless stomach now as he had been when they were kids.

When valley finally came into view, Sakura grinned and could hear the villagers yelling out, announcing her arrival. The people swarmed the entrance to valley, and many bowed, though they all knew that she wasn't one for such things.

Small children stared up at her, their eyes wide and curious, while pre-teen and teen girls stared over at Naruto, their eyes adoring and their hands covering their mouths as they whispered back and forth to each other.

The young men of the village smiled at Sakura, and then turned narrowed eyes upon Naruto, who was too busy staring at Sakura, to notice.

When the crowd parted, Sakura and Naruto bowed respectfully to the elder, and she soon found herself in the old man's warm embrace.

"Sakura, it is good to see you and we are honored that you are able to join us for our festival." Anikumo said, a large smile upon his face. "Tonight, we will start off our two day festival with fireworks, food, and dancing."

Sakura smiled and then looked up at Naruto, who looked lost in a daze of pleasure at the mention of food. When Anikumo motioned for them to follow, Sakura silently hoped that he was not leading them to his kitchen. She didn't think that she could handle his wife's cooking. Inner Sakura was already cowering in a corner.

But, the older man led them to his village's inn and then turned to the young pair. "I am sure that Lady Tsunade has told you that there was only one room available. If this is not acceptable, you are welcome to stay in my home." He offered.

That did it for inner Sakura. She packed her bags, and stormed away, muttering that she wasn't going to allow herself to be subjected to that hellish woman, ever again. However, she gave him a sweet smile and shook her head.

"No, the accommodations are perfect. Thank you, elder." She said, bowing. The old man chuckled and sent an appraising glance over at the young, blonde man beside her. It was clear to him that the young man didn't have any objections, either.

Naruto tightened his grip upon his backpack, and followed Sakura as they entered the inn, after saying goodbye to the elder. He listened as the inn keeper gushed about how honored he was that their ambassador would be staying at his little inn, and that he took the liberty of giving them the very best room he had, which was on the top floor.

Once she had the key in her hand, Sakura and Naruto climbed the stairs and soon found themselves at the top floor, and were shocked to find that there was only one room on that floor...theirs.

Smirking to himself, he silently watched as Sakura unlocked the door and opened it. Upon hearing her gasp, he entered the room and found it to be spacious, with a fire already going in the fireplace.

Fresh flowers decorated the tables that were in the room, and the covers on the large bed were already pulled down, ready to use.

Placing her backpack upon a table, she walked over to the window, and looked outside. The people were quickly setting up and the smell of cooking food hit her nose, causing her stomach to rumble. She grimaced when she realized that she had forgone breakfast, mostly because she was so nervous about sharing a bed with Naruto. Lords, she hoped she didn't snore.

When his large hands fell upon her shoulders, Sakura jumped and then glanced up at him. His eyes were gentle as he turned her towards the bathroom, and handed her the pack she had placed upon the table.

"Why don't you go and take a bath, while I go and see if I can find us something to eat, to hold us over until it is time for the festival to begin." He said, a smile upon his lips.

Sakura flashed him a grateful smile and then blushed when her stomach grumbled again. She held no hopes that he didn't hear it. With the kyuubi's influence, he had excellent hearing, and he probably did her it. So, she took his advice and went into the bathroom, where she found a theme of cream and soft blues adorning the walls.

When her eyes fell upon the tub, she smiled happily and quickly rushed to fill the large tub up with hot water, choosing to add some of the bubble bath that was sitting on the edge of the tub. Soon, she was relaxing in the hot water, and allowed a pleased sigh to escape.

This was heaven on earth.

* * *

He smiled when he heard her sigh. Shaking his head, and looking around the room, he found the key and quickly left the room, making sure to lock it behind him while he went searching for something to eat.

He soon found himself in the village square, and smiled at all of the activities that were going on. People were rushing back and forth, doing their best to be ready for sundown, and the start of the festival.

He'd heard about this particular festival, and knew that to be invited to it, was an extreme honor. However, he still had a mission to do, and he was going to do it quickly. Wandering around, he soon found a shop that served sweet dumplings, and...ramen.

Joyful, joyful. He was so happy that he didn't notice several young men gathering behind him. Instead, he was focused on the preparation of his and Sakura's snack. But, his pleasant thoughts were interrupted when he was tapped harshly on his shoulder.

Turning, Naruto found himself face to face with a young man, probably the same as as himself, who held a scowl on his face.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" The young man snarled, his anger evident in his eyes. Naruto lifted an eyebrow, and then shrugged.

"Uzamaki Naruto." He replied, his tone dry. "And, you are?"

The young man snorted and glanced over his shoulder. The other young men nodded at him and he turned to Naruto with a glare.

"The name is Kenji, and I just wanted to give you a friendly warning. Keep your hands to yourself, especially where the ambassador is concerned." Kenji said, his tone hard.

Naruto sighed. Well, it was bound to happen. Sakura could enchant the pants off of almost anyone, and clearly, she had charmed the young men of this village. Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto stood to his full height, and looked Kenji in the eyes.

"It would be wise if you kept your advice to yourself, especially where it concerns Sakura and myself." Naruto calmly replied, though he could feel the kyuubi beginning to stir, waiting for the moment when he could inject his own dark influence.

The men with Kenji looked scandalized when he said Sakura's name, but Kenji looked down-right furious.

"How dare you call her by her name." He spat, his fists curling up into tight balls. "She is to be referred to as Ambassador Haruno."

Shrugging, Naruto said, "To me, she is Sakura, and will continue to be Sakura. Now, why don't you fellows run along and find something else to do, besides pissing me off."

Cracking his knuckles, Kenji stepped forward and said, "Looks as if you can use a few lessons in proper respect." Letting his fist fly, he watched as it approached Naruto's face, but before he could blink, his fist was caught in an iron grip and he cried out in pain.

Naruto was done playing. The man was seriously pissing him off, and now, since the young man attacked him, he had every right to break the bones in the man's hand.

Yanking the man forward, Naruto brought his lips to the man's ear, and said, "Don't you ever tell me what I can and call Sakura. It isn't your business."

The man whimpered, and his friends moved back, their faces twisted in horror. "Why do you care?" Kenji asked, his tone weak. "What is she to you?"

"She is mine." 

* * *

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she gasped. The water was now cool, and it occurred to her that she had fallen asleep, most likely because she failed to get any real sleep the night before.

Shaking her head, she let the water out of the tub and stood, stretching lazily and then reached for her towel. She quickly dried off, and then found clean panties, and a bra, then proceeded to put on the dress she brought along for this special occasion.

When she was ready, she opened the door, and found the bedroom to be empty. Frowning, she wondered where Naruto was, but then let her worry go.

Naruto was a big boy and could take care of himself. She walked over to the bed, and sat down upon it, giggling as she tested the softness of the rose-colored sheets. Despite still being nervous about sharing the bed with Naruto, she knew she'd get a good night's sleep. In fact, it was tempting not to strip back down, and climb into bed to take a short nap, but she didn't dare because sooner or later, Naruto would return.

She didn't have to wait long before the door to their room opened, and Naruto entered, carrying a box in his hand. The man was frowning, but when she smiled over at him, his frown quickly disappeared and in its place, a large grin.

"How was the bath?" He asked, his eyes moving over her form. The dress fit her body perfectly and the green leaves upon the silky white fabric went well with her eyes. Her hair was down, and fell over her shoulder in soft waves.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "It was nice. I really needed it." She said, a tiny blush appearing upon her skin. She watched as the young man placed a box upon the table and then reach over to grab his own bag.

"I got you something to eat, and while you eat it, I'm going to go and take a shower." He said, grinning as he watched her eyes move quickly over to the box.

He didn't even have time to close the bathroom door before he heard Sakura's grateful moan as she took the first bite of her dumplings.

However, his smile faded when he glanced down at his hand. Had the elder not arrived and intervened, he knew that he would have hit the young man, especially after he tried to punch him. But, the old man did arrive and quickly berated the young men, especially that Kenji ass, and then told them to go on about their business.

The older man bowed and quickly apologized, saying that there were many young men in his village who admired Sakura, and to please excuse their behavior. Once he received a nod from Naruto, the man left to attend to some issues with the fireworks, and he was left alone with his thoughts.

The kyuubi was becoming very possessive of Sakura. For him to say that Sakura was his, told Naruto that the kitsune saw Sakura as its equal and would probably grow more violent until it knew that she belonged to them, totally.

He would have to watch that. 

* * *

The festival began with a series of bright fireworks, signaling to all the villagers that it was time to celebrate their good fortunes.

Sakura's eyes were bright with excitement, and she gripped Naruto's hand tightly as she pulled him forward, eager to join in and have some fun.

Naruto smiled at her back and allowed the woman to lead him. His eyes narrowed when they passed by Kenji and his group of thugs, but Sakura's insistent tugging on his arm kept him from stopping and continuing their earlier discussion.

But, that didn't stop him from flipping the young man off.

When they arrived at the center of the festivities, Sakura's mouth dropped open and she said, "Wow! Would you look at all of this?"

His blue eyes moved over the scene before them, and he nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked, grinning.

Gripping her hand in his a bit tighter, Naruto took the lead, and together they moved into the crowd. Tonight was a night for new beginnings, and together, those beginnings would be happy. 

* * *

"So, what are we going to do about him?" Ino asked, her blue eyes closed as she tried to ward off a major headache.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's painful." Kiba said, then yelped when Hinata's elbow found his side. "Babe? What was that for?"

Hinata sighed and shook her head. "Is it possible that Sasuke actually wants Sakura because he cares for her?" She asked. "I can't help but think that perhaps his motives are unselfish."

Neji leveled a look at his cousin before shaking his own head. "Hinata-sama, the Uchiha wants Sakura because of her power and her womb." He explained. "If he had her backing, there would be no stopping the Uchiha from rising to power, even more than what his family did before their deaths. No, his desire for her is purely selfish."

"I agree." Tenten said, her pretty face twisted into a scowl. "But, I also think that he is using Sakura as a way of getting underneath Naruto's skin, and he is trying to taunt him into a fight. Basically, I think that this is just another way for Sasuke to show Naruto that he is better than him."

The group was silent for several moments. But, then the silence was broken.

"That ass."

Everyone's head shot up and all eyes turned to Hinata. When their mouths remained open, she shrugged and simply said, "I'm allowed to curse, too. You guys don't have exclusive rights, you know."

Kiba snickered, while Neji muttered, "You've been around Inuzuka for too long."

When the laughter died down, Shikamaru said, "Well, we'd better come up with something fast, because I doubt that Uchiha is sitting around, wasting his time on this matter."

Kiba looked over to where Akamaru was laying and then said, "You know, I wonder if perhaps we are going about this the wrong way."

Hinata turned to her man and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've been trying to deal with this all by ourselves, but it occurs to me that there are a lot of people in Konoha who want to see Naruto and Sakura together, and who have seen Uchiha try to come between them. Maybe we need to include more people in our plan." Kiba explained.

Neji was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "I know that Lee and Gai-sensei will help, and I'm sure that several of the other ANBU will help, seeing as how they can't stand Uchiha's arrogant attitude, and if we ask, we can probably get Kakashi-senpai to help. Overall, it's a good idea." He agreed.

When the others nodded their heads in agreement, Neji leaned back and smirked. "Alright. Now that this issue has been decided, let's figure out what we are going to do for dinner. I am hungry." He said, though the look he shot Tenten told her that after the main course, she would be dessert.

Ino bit back a laugh, but then jumped when Shikamaru's hand found its way to her upper thigh, squeezing it. Shooting her lover a glare, he merely lifted an eyebrow, silently telling her that he, too, had a sweet tooth that night.

Hinata grinned and looked over at Kiba, who gave her a soft smile. Love was in the air, and she could only hope that Sakura and Naruto were feeling it, as well. 

* * *

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked, her honey-colored eyes narrowing. When she received a nod, she glared over at the lord and snapped, "So, what do you propose to do about this?"

Akio lifted a delicate eyebrow and shrugged. "He is nothing to worry about." The man replied. "After all, if the girl could ignore me for the blonde, then this other has no chance at all, with her."

Tsunade slumped down in her seat. "You don't know their history, though." She grumbled. "Sakura used to think herself in love with the young man, but after he left for Orochimaru's and then returned, she has been different, but I think that is mostly because of Naruto. I'm just worried that she might decide to accept his advances, seeing as how it was her childhood dream to be Sasuke's woman."

"Children often dream about things they believe to want, only to decide that their dreams were foolish when they become adults." Akio calmly said. "The girl will not stray. Her love for the young man is solid, and if you need proof, when we danced at the gala, he was the one she concentrated on, not me."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that while she was in the arms of one of the worlds sexiest men, Sakura only had eyes for Naruto. That did it. Now she was convinced more than ever, that Sakura and Naruto belonged together.

Akio frowned upon seeing Tsunade's amused smile. "I hardly see anything that is humorous about this." He said, crossing his legs and narrowing his eyes at his old friend.

Tsunade waved her hand at the man, and said, "Calm down, I'm not laughing at you. I'm just really proud that Sakura has managed to stay true to her heart and not allow herself to be swayed by a pretty face. Tossing you aside tells me that she has grown up and become her own woman."

Akio glared at Tsunade when she said that he was 'tossed over', but then sighed. However, he was curious to find out what this other young man wanted with Sakura. If his intentions were of the romantic sort, and he was determined to chase after the young ambassador, well, he wasn't known as the 'deadly perfection' for nothing.


	14. When The Soul Is Set Free

Sasuke stared up into the night's sky and wondered what Sakura was doing at that moment. He had gone over to her place, earlier in the day, but to his dismay, he found that she and the idiot left for valley earlier and that they wouldn't be back for a few days.

Now, as he sat on the roof of his house, he pondered his situation and what he could do to make it better. Naruto was a huge problem. The fool thought himself to be better than him, just because he was able to manipulate Sakura's emotions enough to make her feel badly for hitting him.

Well, to be honest, he actually found the times that Sakura did hit Naruto, funny. Of course, he wouldn't tell either of his teammates that, but whenever her fist did fly, he silently chuckled, knowing full well that the blonde deserved it.

However, he was also faced with another problem. It seemed, to him, that too many people were sticking their noses into his business with Sakura and that just wouldn't do. He could handle the Hyuuga and the dog ninja, but now he had to worry about Shikamaru, as well as their girlfriends.

That entire group was getting on his fucking nerves, and to top it all off...now he had Suna's kazekage warning him away from Sakura, too. Now it was getting serious.

When would the people in this village learn that Naruto was nothing more than a loser? He was a screw-up, and would never change. Hell, even the blonde's dream of becoming hokage was nothing more than a fantasy, mainly because no one in their right minds would ever want someone who was and is currently called 'dead last' as their leader.

When Sakura returned, he would make sure that she understood that she shouldn't feel badly for hitting Naruto, nor should she have to defend the ass to anyone, especially him. She was no longer a commoner, and must take her rightful place in society.

At his side.

Of course, he would have to deal with her feelings of loyalty. It didn't surprise him that Sakura could be so fierce for those she cared about. She was loyal when they were kids, but he had just been too blind by the need for revenge and hate for his brother to notice.

That was something that he regretted the most. He should have paid more attention to her, and not chased her away and towards Naruto. Now, he was more than willing to make up for his neglect, and he wasn't about to let anyone, kazekage or fellow shinobi stop him.

He was an Uchiha. The last Uchiha, in fact, and it was his job and duty to honor his bloodline by being with Sakura, a woman who matched him in every single way.

He could almost bet that she'd be a tiger in bed, just as she was on the battlefield. He knew that she was probably very experienced, but that wasn't surprising considering how beautiful she was. He couldn't understand why she wasn't married, except that perhaps, deep in her mind, she knew that he would return to her.

He always did.

It was because he knew that he wouldn't be shunned by his former teammates that he came back to Konoha. He knew that both would stand up for him, and Sakura made sure to care for him during the first few days of his return.

However, he allowed himself to be swayed by the need to reproduce, and when he knew that he could not get the Hyuuga heiress, he turned to the only other female whose family held some power within the village. He turned to Ino.

That was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made, save for overlooking Sakura. Ino never attracted him. In fact, he had already picked out the room within the Uchiha estate that was to be her room, and he made sure that it was far away from his own.

Of course, he didn't inform the blond female of his plans. In fact, once they were married, he was going to inform her that he considered their marriage to be in name only and that she could do whatever she wanted, as long as she was discreet, and he would do the same.

But, thankfully he came to his senses and called off the wedding, and wasn't too surprised to find that she wasn't upset. He'd known that she and Nara Shikamaru had fucked. It was clear in the way they acted together, and he was glad to have disposed of the bitch.

However, when he and Sakura married, he planned on having his pink-haired female by his side all night long. He would make love to her for hours before they slept, and then would have her again before they got up in the morning.

Though he could spend hours thinking how just how good the sex in their marriage was going to be, he still needed to figure out a way to get Naruto out of the picture, and him in it. He just didn't know how to do it...yet.

But, he wasn't too worried. If he knew the village's idiot, he wouldn't have to wait long until the blonde did something to anger the woman. Then, he'd just have to make sure that he was around to sooth that savage beauty.

In fact, Naruto was probably ticking her off about now, anyways. 

* * *

He was ticking her off. He kept teasing her with the creamy treat in his hand, but each time he would bring it near for her to try, he'd yank it away and laugh. But, it was hard to stay upset for too long, especially after the way he'd escorted her to all of the booths, and would talk animatedly to the villagers who would come up and engage them in a conversation.

She never knew just how diplomatic he could be. On the outside, Naruto was brash, loud, and sometimes, unthinking when he spoke. But, there were times when he could take a conversation and surprise her with his intelligent and thoughtful replies, then would turn around and ask some very pointed questions and make some insightful remarks.

It was clear that she had horribly misjudged Naruto, and to her, that was almost, if not more, unforgivable than her hitting him. She doubted his intelligence, and for that, she was ashamed.

However, he took great delight in being playful with her, and would often crack jokes that made her laugh. Then, once she started to laugh, his own eyes would twinkle and he would join her, his deep voice rumbling over hers, and soothing her poor nerves to the point where she actually felt relaxed.

As they walked, he made sure that her arm was looped around his, and he took great pains to see to her comfort. In her opinion, she thought that he was taking the bodyguard business a bit too seriously, but he seemed to enjoy his station, and she would not take that away from him.

Now, as they sat listening to the cheerful music, and watching the people dance, Naruto leaned over and said, "I'm really glad that we were invited to the festival. I'm having a really good time."

"Me, too." Sakura agreed, and smiled over at him. For a moment, both stared at each other, but was interrupted when a soft voice asked, "Will you dance with me?"

Looking up, Naruto and Sakura saw a young girl, probably around fifteen, standing before them, her hands twisting nervously. Naruto cracked a grin, and glanced over at Sakura.

"Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes?" He asked, his eyes dancing. When he received a nod, he stood up and offered the girl his arm, ignoring the girl's friends gasps of shock as he led the girl to where the other villagers were dancing.

Sakura laughed as Naruto and the young girl danced and shook her head as Naruto laughed. She never knew he liked to dance. Hell, she didn't even know that he knew how to dance, but there he was, and he was wonderful.

But, then again, what did she expect? Whenever Naruto wanted to learn something, he put his whole heart into it, and didn't stop until he was great at it. From the looks of things, his young partner thought that he was great, too.

When the song ended, the young lady thanked him, and ran back to her friends, who all giggled and sighed as they looked over towards Naruto. He was about to walk back over to her, but an elderly lady asked him to dance, and so, he found himself dancing to another song.

Sakura quickly found herself being escorted to the make-shift dance floor by one of the village's noblemen, and so, she danced.

It had been so long since she had let go and just danced. In fact, if memory served her right, the last time she danced had been two months prior to Sasuke leaving the village, and Naruto leaving to train with his perverted new sensei.

This was what life was about. Having fun and enjoying what life had to offer.

After dancing with one man after another, Sakura was beginning to feel slightly tired and was about to walk over to sit down, but a large hand prevented her from doing so. Looking up, she found herself staring into Naruto's eyes and she nodded when he softly asked her to dance.

The music had switched from an upbeat song, to a much slower, more romantic melody. Couples were snuggled together, and swaying to the music as fireflies floated around them, creating a relaxing and soothing atmosphere.

Naruto's face lost all hint of humor as he pulled Sakura into his arms. Her eyes were shyly looking everywhere but at his, and he found that he just couldn't let her look anywhere else, but at him.

Slowly, he pulled her arms until they were wrapped around his neck, then allowed his own arms to encircle her waist, pulling her closer to his warmth.

When her surprised eyes met his, he began to sway, gently leading her to the beat of the music. Sakura had to remind herself to breath, but the way he kept looking at her, it was nearly impossible to remember.

She could remember what it felt like to have a crush on a favored boy, and how it felt when that boy's eyes turned to you, or an approval passed his lips at an action pleased him, but she could also remember how it felt to hear that boy's scathing words and rejection, but how she felt in Naruto's arms made that crush seem like nothing, not even worth even a memory.

Being in his arms made her want to weep with joy, and the words she desperately wanted to say to him were right there on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't form the words necessary. It was as if he was holding her prisoner with his gentle touches and soft eyes, and she was helpless to do anything about it.

But, then again, she didn't want to do anything about it. If she had her way, she'd stay in his arms for as long as he would have her. For her, it was enough just to be here with him, like this.

Just then, the dancers were startled when a loud 'boom' was heard, followed by a beautiful array of colors in the dark sky. The fireworks were now starting, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

Sakura laughed at all of the pretty colors, as she enjoyed the show, along with being held by Naruto, and she turned her eyes back to his, only to find him staring down at her, a soft smile upon his own lips.

Before she could form a coherent thought, to ask him what he thought of the fireworks, she watched as his head dropped down to hers, slowly. She watched as he paused, his lips right above hers, and then, he pressed his soft, warm lips against hers, brushing them tenderly.

He didn't know if he had overstepped his boundaries, mainly because she had gone stiff when he kissed her, but when she softly moaned and began to copy his movements, his eyes closed and he lost himself in their very first kiss.

Sakura could feel her tears welling up in her eyes. Was he really kissing her? Was this something that he wanted, or was he simply caught up in the excitement of the festival? Would he regret his actions when he pulled away and would their fragile companionship be destroyed?

He could smell her tears as well as her sadness, and very slowly, he broke the kiss. Lifting his eyes to hers, he could see twin tears, coursing down her cheeks. Using his thumbs, he gently brushed them away, and softly said, "I know, Sakura. I know, and we'll work it all out together, ok?"

He watched as Sakura nodded, and he slowly brought her even closer to him, hugging her into his body, as her body shuddered with sobs that she was unable to stop. It was at that moment that he finally knew and understood what she had been doing to herself. Sakura had been tormenting herself all this time, perhaps even since that day in the training fields when she apologized, and he never noticed. Now, with those words of hope, he had freed her from the prison she had created for herself. He unlocked the doors to the hell she had sentenced herself to, as a way of punishing herself for what she had done to him.

He had taken it too far. No one deserved to suffer like this. No one deserved to rip themselves apart from the inside out in an attempt to atone for stupid mistakes done in an attempt to sooth an angry and hurt soul.

He knew that someone as proud as Sakura would not want others to see her in this emotional state. Looking up, he noticed that everyone else's attention was on the show that was in the sky, and he knew that this would be the best time to take her away from prying eyes.

Rearranging her in his arms and slightly tightening his embrace, he began to lead her away, and back towards their room. He wanted to spare her from embarrassing questions, and he knew that she needed to speak the words to him that he knew she had been trying to say with her actions.

Now he could give the total forgiveness that he had denied her that day, so long ago. But, he needed her forgiveness, as well. He had been too obsessed with competing with Sasuke, that he failed to see that she needed someone to help her through the deaths of her parents. What she had needed was an open ear, and a shoulder to cry on.

Well, she'd never have to look for another shoulder again. His was open to her, and he'd never leave her.

His words to her that day on the training grounds had been true. He'd never be a fool for her again. This time, he'd see her with his eyes wide open, and he'd give her what she needed. He would show her that she'd never be lonely or have to look elsewhere for love.

She had his, completely. 

* * *

The room was dark, and slightly cool when they entered. He walked her over to the bed, and motioned for her to sit down, while he warmed the room up by starting a fire. Once the fire was lit, he removed his shoes, and socks, then moved back over to the bed, and found that she, too, had taken off her shoes, and was blindly staring out the window.

Kneeling down in front of her, he gently grasped her chin and turned her face so that she were looking straight at him. With his other hand, he smoothed back her hair, that had fallen into her face, and then quietly said, "That day, in the field, I was too angry to listen to your words. I should not have said what I said, especially in the manner that I said them, and for that, I am sorry."

He watched as her eyes widened, and then said, "I am ready to listen to you, now. If you will tell me."

Sakura bit her lip, and could feel her tears spring back into her eyes. She had wronged him, but he was apologizing to her. It wasn't right. He didn't do anything wrong.

Taking in a deep breath, as yet again, he brushed away her tears, she closed her eyes and softly said, "I don't want you to apologize to me. You didn't do anything wrong, and I deserved everything that you said."

Opening her eyes, she found that his eyes were sympathetic, but she knew that he was listening very carefully, and would not interrupt her as she spoke. Taking in another deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye, and softly said, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for hitting you, and belittling you, and everything else. I'm just...sorry."

"I know." He whispered, and he moved to sit beside her on the bed. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her so that her head was against his shoulder, and he murmured, "You made some pretty bad mistakes, but so did I. And, I do need to apologize to you. If I had seen just how much you needed a friend, and have paid more attention to you instead of Sasuke, especially after your parents died, I don't think that we'd be in this situation."

When he felt her nod, indicating that she understood what he was saying, he glanced down to find that her hands were tightly clenched in her lap. Reaching down, he gently pried her left hand away from its abused partner, and brought it to rest on his chest, right above his heart.

"It's no longer important what has taken us this long to get to this point." He said, looking down into her green eyes. "What is important is that we are here, now. I am not willing to waste what chances I am given with you. Do you understand?"

Sakura studied his bright, blue eyes, and then slowly nodded. When his lips came down to brush against her forehead, she softly asked, "Does this mean that you are my friend, again?"

"I never stopped." 

* * *

The morning rays peeked into the darkened room, to find Naruto sitting against the headboard of the bed, with Sakura against his chest and nestled between his legs, covered by the blanket that had been placed upon the edge of their bed.

After she asked him if he was her friend, again, he noticed that her entire body sagged with relief at his response, and then he could see the dark circles underneath her eyes. He mentally berated himself for not noticing them before, but once he focused on her features, he knew that she hadn't just mentally punished herself.

Her body was thinner than he could ever remember it being. It was true that her strength was something to fear, just as baa-chan's, but from the looks of things, she had just given up on taking care of herself, in favor of training and being the best ambassador she could be in order to not have to deal with the pain of losing him as a friend.

Now he felt like an even bigger bastard. Even bigger than that asshole, Sasuke, and that was saying something.

So, when she tried to continue her apology, he merely shook his head and moved around so that he was sitting against the headboard, and pulled her down and into his arms, so that her ear was right above his heart.

Reaching over, he turned off the lamp, and together, they watched the fire as it crackled and danced in the small fireplace. Neither said a word, and he was simply content to stroke her soft hair and rub her back, soothing her into sleep.

It didn't take very long for her breathing to even out, and he frowned. Sakura was one of the strongest people he knew. For her to be so broken, he realized that the only reason why she would fall so far was because, just as Kiba said, she loved him.

She loved him. Not Uchiha Sasuke, but Uzamaki Naruto. She didn't see the kyuubi within him, but she saw the man, and hated herself for hurting him.

That thought was certainly humbling. It would be a long road, but he believed that with a bit of work, they could have a long, beautiful life together.

When he felt her stir, he looked down and watched as she lifted her head a bit, and blinked up at him sleepily. He smiled at how disoriented she was and when she asked what time it was, he softly whispered, "It's very early. Go back to sleep, Sakura. I'll be here when you wake up."

Yawning, she shook her head and then asked, "Have you been sitting up all night?"

Nodding, he grinned and said, "Someone's got to take care of you, and I take my job seriously."

In the old days, she would have become offended and snapped that she could take care of herself, but this Sakura simply moved over a bit so that he could lay down and said, "It can't be too comfortable."

Actually, no it wasn't. So, he slipped down beside her and watched as she turned her back on him. Without thinking, and feeling as if it was the most natural thing to do, he reached out and looped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his warm chest.

Now that they were finally heading in the right direction, he wasn't ready to give up any physical contact he had with her. When she snuggled into him, he smirked. Clearly, she wasn't ready to give it up, either.

As he heard her breathing even out, once again, his own eyes closed he allowed her sweet scent to fill his senses, soothing his troubled mind. Now that they had laid to rest the demons that had been keeping them apart, he was determined to move forward.

It would be a slow process, but he was committed, as he knew she would be, and together they'd heal each other's wounds.

Even the kyuubi seemed to agree that it was about time.

As sleep claimed him, his dreams were filled with a home filled with laughter and a lot of love. He dreamed of his and Sakura's future, and he couldn't wait to get started on it. 

* * *

"So, basically you've been trying to keep Sasuke away from Sakura, and it hasn't been working?" Kakashi asked, wanting to be clear about the situation before he got involved. When he received several nods, he sighed and glanced over at Gai, who looked horrified.

"I can't believe that someone would want to stand in the way of true love!" The bushy-browed man moaned, his face showing his displeasure. "I will not stand by and allow such a travesty to befall our youthful friends."

Lee stood up and nodded harshly. "We will do whatever it takes to stop Uchiha Sasuke from destroying the love that Naruto and Sakura obviously have for each other." He agreed, then shot his sensei a large, toothy grin while giving the older man a thumbs up.

"Right you are, Lee." Gai said, and returned the large smile. "Now, do we have a plan, or will we have to come up with one?"

Tenten giggled, and said, "Well, we might have a plan. Neji said that many of the other ANBU are willing to agree to help us, and that the other jounin have agreed, as well. It seems that Sasuke has really dug himself in deep."

Kakashi shook his head. "That boy is too blind to see beyond his own needs and desires." He muttered, and then pulled out his book, which caused an outraged gasp from Gai. "I think that it will take more than just words to put a stop to Sasuke's pursuit."

"And that is why, we are all going to work together." A feminine voice said as the door opened. All eyes turned to see Tsunade, along with Shizune, Lord Masahara, and his companions enter the room. "Well, where is Neji so that we may hear of his plan?"

Kiba shook his head. "I don't know." He replied. "I think that he might be talking to the other ANBU, so that might take a while."

Lord Masahara sat down in a chair, across from Kakashi, and crossed his legs. "Tell me all that you know about the Uchiha. Leave nothing out." He said, his tone hard.

"Why?" Kakashi demanded. Though he didn't care for what Sasuke was doing, he wasn't just going to hand the boy's ass over to a total stranger, unless there was a reason for it.

Masahara smirked. "I need to know him in order to play with his mind." He replied, his cold eyes never leaving Kakashi's. "The boy will be too busy dealing with me to bother Ambassador Haruno."

Kiba and Hinata glanced at each other in confusion. Wasn't he after Sakura, too? Why was he helping Naruto keep Sakura away from Sasuke.

Clearing her throat, and gaining the lord's attention, Hinata asked, "Didn't you propose to Sakura, too?"

Glaring over at Tsunade, Masaharu snapped, "I told you that this was a stupid idea."

Flushing slightly, Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, at least it worked." She snapped. "You saw how he acted with your own eyes. From the way I see it, the plan worked better than we could have ever hoped."

Turning his eyes from Tsunade, Masaharu gave a sharp nod to Hinata. "I mentioned something to that effect, but I have no intentions of following through, unless the boy stupidly throws the girl to the side. If that happens, the girl is fair game, and I won't hold back." He said.

"You are wasting your time, then." Neji said, as he walked into the room. His beautiful, pearl-colored eyes stared the lord down and he calmly said, "I know Naruto. He loves her, and won't allow another to approach her, at least romantically. That being said, the members of ANBU are in, and several of them are currently stationed around the Uchiha estate to watch over the insufferable ass."

Hinata grinned. "So, all we need to do now is keep him away from Sakura so that Naruto can make his move." She said, clapping her hands excitedly.

Kiba shook his head. "This is Naruto we are talking about, remember? Do you honestly think that he is going to be making any moves on her? Hell, Sakura still thinks that he hates her, you know."

Tsunade's face took on a thoughtful appearance. "Things can change when people are away from their comfort zone." She murmured, then her face twisted into a smirk. "Who wants to bet that they come home as a couple?"

The room groaned as their gambling addicted hokage tried to get people to bet her, but with no luck. Until they received word from ANBU, then they would just have to bide their time and wait for Sasuke's next move. 

* * *

The theme for this chapter is:

_Please forgive me - I know not what I do  
Please forgive me - I can't stop lovin' you  
Don't deny me this pain I'm going through  
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do  
Oh believe me - every word I say is true  
Please forgive me - I can't stop lovin' you_

Please forgive me by Brian Adams


	15. In The Heat Of The Moment

Sakura awoke to find herself wrapped in a very warm embrace. Her breath caught as the memories from the previous night came to her, and she closed her eyes tightly, praying that this wasn't some sort of dream, and that when she awoke, she would be alone.

Naruto smiled and knew the moment she awoke. He stayed very quiet and waited for Sakura to make the first move, but when she didn't, he grew impatient and decided to take the matter into his own hands.

"Good morning, Sakura." He said, his tone soft. When she turned her head to look over her shoulder, he allowed his arms to loosen, and gently pull her so that she were on her back. Once she was settled, he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Sakura smiled, and watched as he pulled back to look down into her eyes. Reaching up, she brushed the back of her hand against the skin of his cheek, absently thinking that he needed to shave, but she ignored the thought and softly replied, "Good morning."

Settling back down beside Sakura, but not releasing her from his hold, he said, "The village's elder told me yesterday that he invited the kazekage and his siblings to enjoy the festival, but that they would arrive today, seeing as how they were finishing up business, elsewhere."

Sakura nodded. "The elder wants to show Gaara that he is anxious to begin the alliance, and wanted Gaara to be comfortable with valley." She explained. "I suppose that the elder is also going to be studying Gaara to make sure that he is not the threat that he once was."

Naruto nodded. That made a lot of sense. However, if anyone ever thought that Gaara was not dangerous, then they were badly mistaking. Gaara was just as vicious, even without the demon within him.

The couple looked over at the door when they heard a knock. Sighing, Naruto said, "Go into the bathroom, and get ready for the day. I'll see who is at the door."

Sakura quickly agreed and jumped out of bed, and grabbed her bag. When she closed the door, Naruto's face broke out into a wide grin. When Sakura left the bed, she didn't notice that the back of her dress had been pushed up sometime during the night, and she ended up flashing him with the sight of her pretty pink panties.

But, he wasn't stupid enough to mention it to her, and would file that sight away for those long, lonely nights when he was on a mission. After learning what it felt like to sleep with the woman he loved in his arms, he seriously doubted that he'd ever be able to touch another woman, not that he planned to, but he was pretty sure that he was ruined for all other women.

His Sakura was all he needed, and he'd show her that she had no reason to look beyond him. In fact, he was almost positive that she knew that, already.

Walking over to the door, he chuckled when he heard a shriek of embarrassment, and then opened the door. The young woman was a few years younger than Sakura, and she was looking down at the floor, her pretty face holding the faint trace of a blush when she took in the sight of a shirtless Naruto.

"The elder has asked that Ambassador Haruno and you join him and his wife for breakfast." She said, shyly, and then turned her eyes back to the floor, reminding him of Hinata, when she was a girl.

Nodding, Naruto said, "Tell the elder that we will be there in a few minutes. Sakura needs a few minutes to get ready."

The girl nodded, and turned away, but not before she stole another glance at Naruto, over her shoulder, and was treated to a wink by the handsome young man. Hurrying down the stairs, the girl sighed happily. She knew a good guy when she saw one.

When he closed the door, he heard Sakura's soft footsteps behind him and turned to see that she had changed from her dress to a pair of pants, and a tank top. He looked her up and down, earning himself a blush, and then casually said, "We've been invited to breakfast. So, are you hungry?"

Sakura was very hungry. In fact, her stomach was grumbling and she knew that it wouldn't be long until it grew vocal. Hell, she'd already flashed Naruto, and she didn't want to further her humiliation.

Once he had put on another shirt, and changed pants, they left the room and headed towards the center of the village. Sakura had wondered where they were going to eat, but when she saw that they were headed straight for the elder's house, she paled and could hear inner Sakura whimper.

Apparently, the traitor had decided not to desert her and now was going to pay for it.

Happily, Naruto's hand found Sakura's and he pulled her along, oblivious to her sudden discomfort and was soon knocking on the elder's door.

"Ambassador Haruno!" Mina exclaimed, her face beaming with excitement. Reaching out, the large woman engulfed her into a bone-crushing hug and when she finally let go, Sakura had to fight not to slump to the floor and gasp for much-needed breath.

The woman finally looked over at Naruto, and her eyes narrowed. Puffing out her chest, she stalked over to Naruto, and began to look him over, her eyes not missing a single detail. When she was finally done with her examination, she noticed that her husband had come to stand beside Sakura and she firmly said, "Yes, he will do nicely. Their children will be most beautiful, mark my words, husband."

Sakura's mouth flopped open, and she was about to say something, anything to ease her nerves, but Naruto laughed loudly and wrapped his arm around the woman.

Glancing over at Sakura, he cheekily said, "See honey, someone else agrees with me. Finally, I get to meet someone with such good taste."

The woman giggled and grabbed onto Naruto's arm and rushed him towards her kitchen. The elder was quietly issuing apologies for his wife's statement, but she replied, "It's fine. I was more worried about what Naruto would say, but I can see that my fear was for nothing."

The elder smiled and patted her hand. She frowned for a moment, but then asked, "Naruto told me that Suna's kazekage might show up. Is it true?"

"Yes." The elder replied. "In fact, he and his siblings have already arrived. They, too, were invited for breakfast and only arrived a few minutes before you."

Nodding, Sakura and the elder walked into the kitchen, and sure enough, Garra and his siblings were sitting around the table, while Naruto helped Mina bring out the covered dishes. Taking a seat by Gaara, she smiled at the stoic kazekage and said, "I'm glad that you are able to join us for the festival, Gaara."

The young man gave a slight nod. He didn't tell her that his reason for attending was to ensure that Sakura and Naruto had no interruptions during this get-away. Konoha's hokage was worried that the Uchiha would attempt to force his way between the couple, and that was something that he was not going to allow.

Temari smirked and said, "So, ambassador. Feel like a round of sparring after breakfast?"

Lifting her eyebrow, Sakura's eyes met Temari's and she nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." She replied, and glanced over at Naruto. "I'll be with Temari, ok? You can run around the village, if you want."

Before Naruto could reply, Gaara said, "He will be with myself and Kankuro. We have matters that we need to discuss."

Nodding, and missing the look that passed between Gaara and Naruto, Sakura took in a deep breath and waited for Mina to announce that it was time to eat.

She didn't have to wait long, much to inner Sakura's sorrow.

When breakfast was finished, Temari and Sakura emerged and glanced at each other before trudging towards the training grounds. When they finally arrived, Temari sighed and said, "Screw training. Let's just lay down and pray for a quick end."

Nodding, Sakura followed the older girl to a large tree and together, they sat in the shade. After several minutes, Temari said, "It seems that you and the loud-mouth are making nice."

"Things have gotten better." Sakura replied, a soft smile upon her lips. "I think that they are much better than before."

Smiling, Temari turned her eyes to the sky, then frowned. She couldn't help but wonder if Sakura knew what Sasuke was doing and why. Sakura was a smart woman, and didn't need to be coddled as to what the Uchiha was doing, and since no one has ordered her to keep quiet, she wasn't.

"What do you think about the Uchiha?" Temari demanded, her tone gruff. When the younger girl's eyes turned to her own, Temari sighed. "Do you still care for him the way you used to?"

Biting her lip, Sakura pondered the question. But, what startled her was that she was able to honestly say that the love she had felt for Sasuke was nothing compared to what she felt for Naruto. Hell, it didn't even come close.

Finally, she softly said, "A few years ago, I would have told you that I loved Sasuke with all my heart. But, things were complicated back then, and I confused love with like. After my parents died, I desperately wanted someone to call my own, and I wanted Sasuke, or at least I thought that I did. But, nowadays, things are so much clearer, and I can honestly say that I consider Sasuke as a friend, nothing more, nothing less. In fact, I can't even remember what it was about Sasuke that attracted me, in the first place."

Smirking, Temari nodded. "And, how do you feel about the blonde?" She prodded.

"I love him." Sakura said, not even hesitating. To say that she loved Naruto was as natural to her as breathing was. "I think that I've loved him for a long time, but only realized it recently. I suppose that you can say that I've been pretty blind, but now, I can see clearly and all I see is Naruto."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious." Temari stated, earning herself a shocked glance. "It's easy to see. Your eyes give you away, every time. You look at him, and your eyes go all soft, just as his does with you. But, you have a serious problem, my friend."

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura said, "Sasuke."

"You got it." Temari affirmed. "It seems, from what I've been told, that the Uchiha has grown quite smitten with you, and thinks that you need to be by his side, and not Naruto's. He really is an arrogant bastard, you know that?"

"So what else is new?" Sakura mumbled, and frowned. When she thought about it, now she could understand why Sasuke has been acting so strangely. He was trying to put the moves on her, but was stopped each and every single time. It must have pissed him off greatly.

Good.

Temari watched as Sakura's eyes glazed over and silently decided that she wouldn't want to be Sasuke. From the look in Sakura's eyes and the way her mouth was pressed into a thin line, Temari could almost bet that someone was going to get hurt.

If she was lucky, she'd get a front row seat. 

* * *

"The Uchiha forgets his place." Gaara said, his tone blunt. "He desires Ambassador Haruno, and he refuses to take no for an answer."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah?" He asked, "Well, perhaps he and I need to get everything out in the open, and when I am done using his head as a punching bag, then maybe he'll think twice about fucking with my girl."

Kankuro's eyebrow lifted and he casually asked, "So, you and Sakura are together, then? You did call her your girl."

"I'm working on it." Naruto snapped, his eyes narrowing in a silent challenge. "Besides, I've got a few days to decide on how I am going to handle Sasuke."

"You best decide quickly." Gaara said, his tone firm. "I doubt that the Uchiha will waste any time, when you and Sakura returns, to make his move. If you have a move, use it quickly."

Naruto's eyes stared at the ground for several minutes, before softly asking, "How do you tell someone that you love, that they are your world? I don't know how to tell her that I love her, and I'm scared that if I come right out and say that I love her, that it will scare her away."

Kankuro leaned back, his hands behind his head. "You could always show her." He offered, his face twisted into a leer. "Nothing says 'I love you' than a good roll in the hay, you know?"

"Ignore the idiot." Gaara said, his eyes narrowing dangerously on his brother. "However, he is correct when he suggests that you could show her that you love her, by listening to what she says and involving yourself in the activities that she enjoys."

"You've been reading Temari's books, haven't you?" Kankuro asked. "She's the only one of us that reads that horse shit, and look at how well she is doing with her own sex life. She's at home, every night, so that line of thinking is not helpful."

Gaara's lips formed a tight, thin line and he said, "You're there, too."

Ignoring Kankuro's sheepish look, Gaara turned to Naruto and said, "I do not know much of how a woman thinks. I've never claimed to. But, I can tell you that a woman like Sakura will not like being placed into a situation where it is hinted that sex will bring her closer to you. From what I understand, sex is used to strengthen a bond, but what you need to do is create that bond first."

"We already have a bond." Naruto said, thoughtfully. "But, maybe what we need to do is start off slowly."

Gaara nodded in approval, and glared at his brother when Kankuro sighed and shook his head sadly. But, both males glanced up when Naruto said, "Last night, I got to hold her. She slept in my arms, and it felt like she was meant to be there. I can't let her go. Not after that."

Smirking, Gaara looked over at his brother and saw that he, too, was smirking. "Then, you need to decide how you are going to deal with that Uchiha and decide quickly. Once he is extracted, then you can concentrate fully upon Sakura, and then, you can plan your life, together, if that is what you both wish." 

* * *

The day went by rather quickly and soon found Sakura and Naruto back in their room. They had decided to join up with their friends from Suna, and quickly picked out their outfits for the evening.

Sakura walked into the bathroom, and turned on the water, ready for a nice, hot shower. Once she was underneath the steaming water, she sighed happily, and did not notice the door to the bathroom opening.

All he wanted to do was brush his teeth. He was going to sneak in, brush them, and get out, leaving her to her privacy. However, he did not account for the image behind the shower curtain. His eyes were staring at Sakura, from the mirror, and he took in a large breath as his cock hardened.

He had previous out of body experiences, mostly when he was doing something stupid, but now, he felt as though someone else was controlling as his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his boxers, and pushed them down his legs.

Once he was nude, he slowly walked towards Sakura, and quietly entered the shower, his eyes never straying from her body. He lifted his hands and before he could stop himself, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

To say she was startled would be an understatement. She turned her head and found Naruto looking down at her, his eyes soft. Before she could say a word, he leaned forward and kissed her, his lips firm against hers.

Despite her initial shock, when his lips touched hers, she forgot that she was naked and that he, too, was naked. Instead, her brain simply focused on the feel of him, and when his tongue touched her lips, she opened her mouth, slightly, and felt him deepen the kiss.

His large hands moved from her shoulders to her waist and he slowly turned her until her soft body was molded against his, and when her firm breasts touched his chest, his eyes closed in pure pleasure and he deepened the kiss even further.

Sakura thought that her knees were going to give out on her. Naruto was a god at kissing and just so that she would be sure that she didn't end up falling and humiliating herself, she decided to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

He knew that she was aroused. With the kyuubi's enhanced senses, he could smell her sweet arousal and his body tightened. His embrace grew stronger, as he pulled her as close as he could without hurting her.

She did not resist him as he slowly backed her up against the shower wall, and pressed himself tightly to her. He lifted her, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist, and he allowed his hands to move from her waist to her backside to support her.

When his mouth left hers and began trailing a path to her neck, her eyes closed and she moaned. As the water ran over their bodies, Naruto took his sweet time, exploring his Sakura, and from the breathy, little sounds she was making, she was having the time of her life.

When he finally lifted his head, his blue eyes stared into her green, and he decided to throw caution to the wind and tell her how he truly felt.

"Hey, kiddies! Let's get a move on, alright. Temari is hungry, and we're getting a headache from all of her bitching."

Frozen, Sakura and Naruto stared at each other, the spell between them broken. Slowly, he allowed her to slide down his body, his poor cock softening when it realized that it wasn't going to be called to action, and he sighed.

Sakura's cheeks were cherry red, but her body shook as it tried to come down from her arousal. She had only one thought.

'Kankuro must die.'

Yeah, that sounded like a plan to her. Besides, Gaara and Temari would never miss him.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto softly said, "I'm going to hurry and get dressed, so take your time and I'll see you when you get out."

Nodding, she watched him walk away, and inner Sakura cried in frustration. Killing Kankuro was too good for him. She'd have to think of something even worse. 

* * *

Stepping into the room, Naruto found Kankuro lying face down on the ground and Temari sitting on top of him. The elder of the siblings was smirking with her arms folded over her chest. However, when she caught sight of Naruto, her smirk faded, but she managed to control herself and simply gave him a nod.

Gaara, who had been watching the entire fight between his siblings, looked over at his friend and watched as Naruto dressed. When finally clothed, Naruto calmly asked, "So, how did you get in here?"

"Stupid, here," Temari said, indicating Kankuro, "Picked the lock. We told him that it was a bad idea, seeing as how neither of you answered, but he insisted, and so, here we are."

"Mmfumufh" Kankuro muttered, though nothing that he said was understandable. When his sister finally let him up, the tall, young man brushed himself off and muttered, "Sorry, but we're hungry."

"So am I." Sakura said, as she walked out of the bathroom. She had chosen a simply pair of slacks and a white tank top. She grinned over at Temari, who was also dressed casually, and asked, "So, are you ready to go?"

When her friend nodded, Sakura followed Temari out of the room, only to be followed by the three men. When the girls were far enough away not to hear them, Kankuro chanted, "One day, she'll be gone. One day, she'll be gone."

Gaara lifted an eyebrow and calmly said, "If you didn't provoke her, she would leave you alone. You ask for it, each and every single time."

Glaring over at his brother, and then Naruto, when the blonde started to laugh, he sighed and gave up. Hell, he knew that he deserved it, but it was just too tempting to see Temari blow her top.

The three men quickly caught up with their companions and Naruto made sure to stay close to Sakura's side. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he smiled down at her when her surprised eyes met his, and she then returned his smile before cuddling close to him.

Sakura wanted to close her eyes as she felt the warmth of his body embrace hers. Timidly, she wrapped her are around his waist and sighed happily when his other hand came to hers, and entwined their fingers.

For the first time, it was clear that they were a couple. The villagers of valley smiled indulgently at the pair and knew that their elder was rooting for the young man to win their ambassador's heart. He was handsome, and if the elder's suspicions were correct, this young man held a strong tie to Konoha's fourth hokage.

Even in valley, the fourth hokage was well known. His looks, kindness, and ability to cause mischief were well renowned, and the young man with the ambassador looked like a mirror image of the fourth. The elder believed that the man with their ambassador was the child of the fourth hokage. But, they were warned not to speak about their elder's suspicions, and so, they were content on watching the budding love between the pink haired woman, and the man with whisker marks on his cheeks.

Gaara smirked at the closeness of his two friends. He was more than pleased to see just how close they had grown on this trip, and he knew that no matter what the Uchiha tried, the blonde would stop him. But, the battle was already won, if appearances meant anything.

Sakura wasn't going anywhere, and looked quite happy in Naruto's arms.

Looking over his shoulder, Gaara's eyes went wide, and then narrowed. So, the fool finally decided to show himself. 

* * *

"Damn it!" Kiba yelled, dodging tree limbs. "How in the hell did he give them the slip?"

Neji shrugged. "Apparently, he used a shadow clone, just as Naruto used on me, at the chunnin tournament." He said, his eyes staring straight ahead of him. "The bastards much more resourceful than we gave him credit for. Who knew that he'd use a tactic that Naruto was famous for, just to give us the slip."

Kiba fumed for several minutes, and then heard Akamaru bark. Both young men dropped down, and Kiba smirked. "Well, Akamaru picked up his trail, so either he was too stupid to cover his tracks, or he just doesn't give a damn that we know where he is heading." He announced.

"I see the two of you have finally decided to join us." Kakashi drawled, as he stepped from the shadows. Both young men glared at him, but the silence was broken when Neji demanded, "How did you know which way he would take?"

Shrugging, Kakashi replied, "Sasuke is a creature of habit. He knew the path that Sakura would go, and followed her, not caring about anything except for her. He also knows that we would probably guessed that he would have taken this path, and didn't care if we followed."

Neji nodded, but then glared at the man when he said, "Or, he could have decided that since he is an Uchiha, and that much better than the rest of us, he would do as he pleased, and how he pleased to do it, and to hell with what we think."

"Now, that sounds like the Uchiha that I know." Kiba spat, his anger growing. That man needed to be taken down a few notches. His arrogance knew no limits.

Kakashi motioned for the young men to follow and led them to a small camp. They were surprised to find Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya, Gemna, Shino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Lee, Gai, and Ino, sitting around a fire, discussing what to do now. However, before they could join, two of Lord Masaharu's companions appeared and smiled.

"He's at the festival that valley is holding." The young, self-proclaimed holy man named Midoru, said. Satchi nodded. "From what we saw, the kazekage, himself, was dealing with him." She murmured, and then shuddered. "He looked so angry, and that sand that he controls is scary."

Kakashi sighed. "We'd better get over there." He said. "We don't need an all out battle in valley, and we can force Sasuke to return to the village."

"That boy," Tsunade growled, "Had better be unconscious when I get to him. If he isn't, he soon will be."

Jiraiya smirked. He could remember being on the wrong side of her punch, and never wanted to relive that experience, again.

Sasuke was going to get it. 

* * *

The air around them was thick with tension, and Gaara's eyes stared into Sasuke's, daring him to move. The dark-haired young man glared back, his body tense with anger, and his eyes flickered between Gaara, and the sight of Naruto holding Sakura.

Gaara stepped forward, intent on removing Sasuke's presence, but it was Sakura's voice that stopped him.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke?"

Dark eyes turned to Sakura, and he struggled to keep his temper in check. He did not need to accidentally activate his sharingan, nor did he want to do anything to shake her trust in him.

"I simply came to enjoy the festivities, Sakura." He replied, his tone smooth. "I've done nothing wrong to warrant being told to leave. In fact, if anyone is guilty of anything, it would be the kazekage, for attempting to intimidate me."

Naruto stepped in front of Sakura and sneered, "Poor baby. Did the big, bad kazekage frighten you, Sasuke?"

"Listen, dobe." Sasuke snapped, his eyes in a hard glare, "This is between me and Sakura. So, be a good little loser, and get lost."

"Don't you talk to him like that." Sakura snapped, her anger clear as she stood at Naruto's side, her fists curled into tight balls. "You don't have the right to speak to him like he's the dirt at your feet."

Sasuke silently regarded her, the angered words filtering through his brain. Suddenly, it became clear to him. Naruto had somehow convinced her that he was her equal. Poor Sakura, she was being taken advantage of, and she was too blind by her guilt to see it.

"Sakura," Sasuke gently admonished, "Please do not involve yourself in matters between me and the moron. I know that you have some misguided sense of guilt, but let me assure you, he deserved every single one of the blows that he got from you. You have done nothing wrong."

Naruto was never any good at keeping his temper, or mouth, in check. Snarling, he yelled, "What in the hell do you mean that she hasn't done anything wrong? She hit me, belittled me, and pushed me aside, all in an attempt to gain your attention. She has every right to feel guilty."

Sasuke smirked, and watched as Naruto's blue eyes widened in horror. Temari quickly went to Sakura's side, whispering words of comfort, but to no avail.

Spinning on her heel, Sakura bolted from the large group, sobbing into her hands. Now she knew how he truly felt, and that he had only forced himself to try and suffer her presence. But, as hurtful as his words were, one stray thought hurt her the most.

He had played her for a fool, and had only been acting nice just so he could get close and deliver the fatal blow, and he did it in front of everyone.

She really was a fool. 

* * *

"Go after her." Gaara said, quietly. "Make sure that she doesn't do anything stupid, and see her safely to her room."

Kankuro and Temari nodded, and shot Naruto glares before they took off. Before he could speak, a fist came down on the top of Naruto's head, causing the blonde to whine in pain.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Ino screamed, and had to be held back by Tenten and Shikamaru. "Let me go! I'll take both of them out, I promise!"

Tsunade walked over to Naruto, who was still staring in the direction that Sakura had run off in. Taking a deep breath, she tried to control her raging emotions, but gave up after a couple of moments, and lifted her hand and aimed a well-placed flick to the side of Naruto's head.

The young man slid to a stop right before Kakashi and the older ninja sighed. "Well, I can't say that you didn't deserve it." He said, as he helped the young man up. When he was stable on his feet, Neji approached him and calmly said, "He baited you, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

"Don't you think that I know that?" Naruto snapped, his eyes moving back in the direction where Sakura ran. "I need to go after her."

Kiba shook his head, and said, "I sent Akamaru after her. He'll find her and bring her back, but you have got to decide if you are honestly able to let it go, or if you are going to continue to hold that grudge against her. If you are, then you need to walk away and not look back. It's clear that she loves you, but do you love her?"

Naruto glared at the dog ninja and nodded. "I love her with all of my heart." He said, his tone soft. "I'd die for her without a second thought. I-I need to go to her. I am not going to give her up."

The young ninja quickly ran off, intent on finding the heartbroken young woman, leaving behind his friends and his rival.

Sasuke smirked, knowing that Naruto had effectively destroyed any hope of a romance between him and Sakura. However, when Gaara cleared his throat, and gained his attention, Sasuke realized that he, too, had trouble of his own.

"I did nothing wrong." He said, folding his arms over his chest. He glared at Gaara, who stepped forward.

"You have hurt the two people whom have watched your back, time and time again, only because of your own selfish desire." Gaara replied. "The fact that you will not back off and allow Sakura to explore what her heart wants is proof enough of your selfish nature."

Tsunade stepped forward, her anger rising at Sasuke's cocky display. "From this point on, you are not to come into contact with either Sakura or Naruto. I will place you on another team, for the time being, until things are resolved between Naruto and Sakura. You will not interfere." She said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but slammed it shut when he saw just how serious his hokage was. Glaring at the ground, he bit his tongue, and nodded sharply. This had not gone as he had planned. 

* * *

Temari found Sakura, who was crying into the fur of a large dog, who Temari recognized as being the partner of the dog ninja. The animal made soft growling sounds at the young woman, and watched as Temari stopped right in front of them.

Stooping down, Temari reached out and touched Sakura's head. When Sakura's watery eyes met hers, Temari smiled and said, "He didn't mean anything he said, Sakura. Sasuke knew where to hit Naruto at, and the fool went with it. He wasn't trying to upset you."

"I can't help but think that he's been pretending to be nice to me, just so that he could get me back when I least expected it." Sakura said, as fresh tears began to course down her face. "If he said it in the heat of the moment, doesn't that mean that it is truthful?"

"Well, in most cases, but in this one, no." Kankuro said, as he stepped out of the brush. He adjusted his large puppet and then looked down at Sakura. "The fox wasn't trying to dig at you. He was trying to prove to Sasuke that there was a good reason why you had felt guilty. Granted, his way of doing it sucked, but he didn't mean for it to come out the way it did."

Stepping forward and moving to Sakura's other side, he knelt down and looked Sakura in her eyes. "He loves you." He said, his tone soothing. "He loves you more than he has ever loved anything, the title of hokage, included. You didn't see the look on his face when he realized what he had said, but it was enough to make him look as if he had just been stabbed. Sasuke knew what to say, and Naruto simply reacted."

Sakura sniffled, and closed her eyes as a fresh wave of sorrow flowed through her. When she opened her eyes, she found Naruto, standing in front of her, his eyes locked onto her face, and she found that she just could not look at him.

Naruto had finally caught up to Sakura, and heard every single word that Kankuro had said. While the words were true, she needed to hear it from his own mouth. He needed to be the one to sooth her, and he would not do it with other people watching.

"Sakura and I need to talk." He said, his eyes never leaving her. "Will you please leave?"

Temari stood up, intent on telling Naruto to go to hell, but Kankuro grabbed her arm, and smiled. "Yeah, sure." He said, giving Naruto a look that told him not to mess this up, or else. "We'll take the over-grown puppy for a walk, and meet you back at the village."

Huffing and growling viciously, Akamaru followed the sand siblings and all three were soon gone. Once they were alone, Naruto moved over to Sakura's side, and saw that she was doing her best not to cry, but tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

Sitting down, he stared at the ground and softly said, "I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and there is no excuse to why I said what I said, but I wanted you to know that it was never directed at you."

Sakura heard his words, and she wanted to believe him, but she just couldn't. She did forgive him for what he said, but if he said those words so easily, how could they not be true.

Naruto looked over and sighed. "I suppose there is a part of me, a small part, that is still cautious." He admitted. "However, I am not angry at you, anymore, and I do enjoy spending my time with you. Damn it, I've dreamed of holding you in my arms for several years, and last night, my dream finally came true. I'm not going to let you walk away, not now, not when I know what we can have."

Looking up, Sakura stared at him, and then took in a deep breath. "And, what can we have?" She asked. "If all it takes for you to go back to when you were angry at me, is a couple of words from Sasuke, then what exactly do we have?"

"We have faith." Naruto replied, his large hand smoothing back her bangs before he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "We have faith that no matter what, we know that the other loves us, even when we are acting like complete assholes."

Closing her eyes, as his lips touched her forehead, Sakura bit her lip and nodded slightly. She knew that she was just asking for it, but she needed to believe him. She needed to believe that he would never hurt her, intentionally.

She needed to have faith. 

* * *

It was dark when they finally emerged from the forest, and silently, Naruto carried Sakura back to where their friends stood, ignoring the curious glances from the villagers, and his fellow ninja, as he walked. However, his eyes locked on Sasuke, and Naruto stopped, comfortable with the action, especially since he had used a sleeping jutsu on Sakura, to relax her. She was resting peacefully in his arms, and he wasn't about to let that asshole hurt her, ever again. He would make sure that the Uchiha understood.

Moving over to Gaara, he calmly asked, "Would you hold her, for a moment? There is something that I need to do."

The kazekage nodded, and accepted the woman, and watched as the blonde turned to look at his former teammate.

Tsunade stepped forward, intent on stopping any fighting that might happen. However, Jiraiya stopped her.

"No." He snapped. "This has been a long time coming. They need to settle this in their own way."

Narrowing her eyes, she finally relented and watched as Naruto and Sasuke squared off.

The blonde came to a stop before his former friend. Looking him up and down, a lot of the anger he had previously felt quickly melted away as he finally saw what had become of his friend.

Instead of hating the man, he felt pity. It was clear to him that Sasuke was a very lonely, sad human being, but despite the pity he felt, the need to protect Sakura outweighed what Sasuke needed.

The dark haired young man watched as the blonde looked him up and down. When he was finished, Sasuke lifted his eyebrow as Naruto shook his head.

"It's a real shame, you know?" Naruto said, his tone neutral. "All these years, I have envied you for everything you are, and now that I see you clearly, I am sad to say that I have wasted so much time for nothing."

"It's not my fault that you are so pathetic that you felt the need to envy me." Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm glad to see that you finally realized that you are nothing like me and never will be."

Nodding, Naruto replied, "Me too. I'd never want to be known as someone who felt the need to come between his teammates, and then attempt to stab one of those teammates in the back. I also would never want to be the one who caused Sakura to cry."

"I wasn't the one who made her cry." Sasuke snapped, his tone hard. "That was you."

Shrugging, Naruto sighed. "Whatever you say, Sasuke." He said. "However, you are the one who decided to bring up all that shit, knowing that I'd explode. You also knew that whatever I said, I'd be blunt and not even think over my words. It's true that I am able to control myself, but you made sure to press all of the right buttons, leading to the inevitable. At the core, you are the one responsible for what happened today, and all because you want my girl."

Sasuke heard his words, but the one statement that set him off was the last. "She isn't your girl, loser." He snapped, his eyes flashing from dark to red. "Sakura belongs to me. She's wanted me ever since we were kids, and she wants me now. You are confusing her, that's all."

"Stay away from her Sasuke." Naruto warned. "Stay away from her, and let us be. If you don't...I'll make you. Believe it!"


	16. Switching Gears

Her eyes slowly opened and she became aware that she was being held by a strong set of arms. Looking up, she watched as Naruto stared straight ahead, his face set in fierce determination. But, when he finally looked down, his eyes widened and he stopped.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. His jutsu should have lasted longer, but he wasn't too surprised to see that she was awake. After all, he was pretty sure that villages in a thirty mile radius had heard his and Sasuke's confrontation.

They hadn't even tried to be quiet.

When she shook her head yes, he smiled down at her and hugged her closer to him, content on feeling her against him. As they drew closer to the inn, he found that he was looking forward to sliding between the sheets with her, holding her for yet another night.

When they reached their door, he gently set her down upon her feet, and quickly fished out the key to their room. Once the door was open, he grasped her hand and silently led her into the room before closing and locking the door behind him.

When he let go of her hand, she sat down in a chair and pulled off her shoes, sighing happily when her bare feet hit the floor. She watched as he started a fire, due to it being cool out, and then pulled off his own shoes.

"Are you hungry, baby?" He asked, knowing that she had only snacked for her evening meal. It seemed that Sakura and Temari were more concerned with looking at all of the crafts and paintings than eating, despite claiming that they were very hungry.

Nodding, she replied, "A little bit. I should have eaten more at the festival."

"I'll call for room service and we'll get in a late night dinner." Naruto said, grinning. She knew what that grin meant. He was going to ask for ramen. Lots of it, too.

Once he had placed the order, he sat back in a chair across from her and looked at her, his eyes narrowed in thought. Finally, he said, "I don't want you alone with Sasuke."

Lifting her eyebrow, Sakura asked, "And, why is that. I mean, I know that he is a total asshole, but he is still our teammate."

"Not anymore, he isn't." Narto replied smugly. "Baa-chan traded him with Neji. So, Sasuke will be on Lee's team, while Neji is on ours, though I don't think that he is too happy about it."

"Why is that?" Sakura asked, her curiosity aroused. The young man smirked. "Well," He said, "It seems that we are not the only team with a love triangle. Lee is in love with Tenten, who loves Neji, who loves Tenten. Lee doesn't get the fact that Tenten is taken, and keeps trying to get her to date him, despite Neji's warnings to stop. I think that things are about to get nasty for them."

Snorting, Sakura shook her head. "I doubt it." She said, thoughtfully. "I know for a fact that Lee is completely aware that Neji and Tenten are in love. In fact, Lee is the one who offered to help Tenten make Neji so jealous that he would finally want to commit to her."

Now Naruto was stunned. "How in the hell do you know that?" He demanded, his tone filled with awe. "Are you sure?"

Nodding, Sakura grinned. "I'm positive." She replied. "Tenten told me herself, but wants to keep it a secret, especially from Ino. Lee is going to make some kind of ultimatum, and when Tenten choses Neji, he will back out gracefully. After all, everyone knows that Lee would never try to force a woman to do what he wanted them to do. It's not in his nature."

Laughing, Naruto now could understand why Lee was acting so funny, and why he kept eyeballing a certain village girl when he was supposed to be in love with Tenten. It all made sense.

"I doubt that with Sasuke having to be around Lee, he will find any time to bother us." Sakura murmured, not noticing that Naruto's eyes seemed to brighten.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, there was a knock on the door, and when he opened it, he found a young man with a large tray of food. When the young man left, after ogling Sakura and being glared at by him, Naruto closed and locked the door, before moving over to the table, where Sakura had laid out the food.

As expected, he had ordered ramen, and from the looks of it, he had ordered every single flavor known to man. But, to her great joy, he had ordered her a steak and a side salad. She grinned up at him, and was rewarded for his famous grin, which instantly melted her heart.

She watched as he dug into his meal, like a starved man, and smiled. Even though they were adults, he still held onto his boyish charm, and she wondered why she had not seen it when they had been genin.

It was probably due to her warped fascination with Sasuke, and the deaths of her parents. Sasuke had always had a cold aura, and it had always amazed her that he could be so calm, so collected, and she had wanted to mirror that.

Of course, now that she was older, she could clearly see that the only reason why he had been cold was because he was an asshole, and had only grown bigger as the years had gone by. And, he couldn't use the excuse that he had to be cold because his parents had died.

Naruto had been born into a life of being an orphan. His parents were gone, though she had once heard some of the elders whispering that the fourth hokage's son was a complete mirror image of him.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Naruto, and she now could understand why none of the elders would speak ill of him. The elders had accepted him, watched him. But, it was the third hokage who had basically cared for the young boy, just by accepting him and appointing Iruka-sensei to watch over him.

The third hokage didn't see that vessel that housed the nine-tails. He saw the legacy of the man who had known that the only suitable container for such a beast would be his own blood.

Naruto.

Now it all made sense. The fourth hokage used his infant son, knowing that his love for his newborn would be strong enough to contain the beast, until his child grew to the point where he could control it, himself. The fourth hokage knew that one day, his son would control the power that the nine-tails held, and would surpass even him in power.

However, the boy was his father's equal in looks. How she could have missed such an important thing was beyond her. She saw the fourth hokage's picture, everyday, in the hokage tower, and never put him together with Naruto.

Her Naruto was his father's greatest victory, and his ultimate legacy. But, she frowned suddenly.

All the fourth hokage had asked of the village was for the village to accept Naruto, and to treat him as if he were a hero. Instead, the people treated Naruto as if he were a monster, something not worthy of their time, or respect.

She, too, had treated him badly, time and time, again.

"Hey, is everything ok?" Naruto asked, his eyes soft and concerned. When she gave him a weak nod, he scrunched up his face, and said in a warning tone, "Sakura, don't lie to me. What's wrong."

Without warning, she was out of her chair, and in his lap, her face buried into his neck. At first, he was stunned, but quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as he gently rocked her, trying to sooth whatever had upset her.

When she felt that she were in complete control of herself, she took in a deep breath and pulled back, to look at his face, her fingers delicately tracing his whisker marks.

"I can't help but think of how, when we were genin, you shocked the village with your victory over Neji." She said, her tone soft. "That power was the nine-tails, wasn't it?"

He studied her carefully, and knew that the damn fox had perked up when he heard himself mentioned. She actually seemed curious, and he wasn't going to begin their relationship on a foundation of lies, so he nodded.

"Jiraiya-sensei helped me harness the fox's chakra, and yeah, I used it against Neji." Naruto confirmed. "But, I am not the fox, and he is not me. We are two different entities, and I happen to be the dominate one. Kyuubi, however, is more than willing to share, mainly because he has no choice. I am the one keeping him alive."

Nodding, she smiled. "Well, I always knew that you were strong." She murmured, her head settling down in the crook that was between his neck and shoulder. "To contain such a creature is amazing. It just proves that you are special."

Smiling, he tightened his arms around her. Kissing the top of her head, he heard her yawn and then sighed. She had only taken a few bites out of her dinner, but she seemed content, though he was pretty sure that she had not asked him the question that was really on her mind, but she seemed a bit happier.

Hell, he was happier now that she was in his arms and lap. But, when she yawned again, he knew that it was time for bed, and when he set her down on her feet, he sent her towards the bathroom to brush her teeth with a gentle pat on her backside.

Quickly, he cleared up the table, placed them back on the cart that they arrived on, and went to the door. He pushed the cart out of the room, and when he closed and locked the door for the final time that night, he smiled.

He couldn't wait to work with Neji on his team. The Hyuuga was not someone to mess with and he liked the way Neji guarded Sakura. Especially when Sasuke was around.

His eyes turned towards Sakura when she walked out of the bathroom, and lifted an eyebrow at her nervous expression.

Clearing her throat, she said, "I seem to have forgotten my nightshirt. Do you happen to have an extra shirt I can borrow?"

His mind snapped back, thanks to kyuubi's influence, to the shower, and he was not going to be denied the feel of her skin against his as he slept. So, instead of answering her, he moved over to where she stood and peeled off his shirt, tossing it to the floor.

Her eyes followed the forgotten garment, momentarily brain-dead at such an act. But, when his hands came to rest at her hips, inner Sakura gave her brain a vicious kick and snapped, "Don't you dare go all prudish on me. I want to get lucky!"

Taking in a deep breath, she tilted her head when his lips moved down to her shoulder, mere inches from the strap of her tank top. He pulled her to him, her covered chest against his, while his lips did sinful things to her neck.

His hands moved slowly, pulling up the material that was keeping him away from his female's body, and when he got to the point where he needed her to lift her arms, he was shocked to find her doing so without him even having to ask.

Slowly, he undressed her, taking his time in peeling off her garments as her hands went to the button of his pants. As their mouths finally met, his hands succeeded in pushing down her pants, exposing her panties, while her own hands were mirroring his actions.

Soon, all of their clothing was scattered about the room, and they had somehow, made it onto the bed and underneath the covers. Their kisses were unhurried, and when his grip tightened, her breasts crushed beneath his chest, she broke the kiss to moan.

His eyes watched her, loving her. It was as if all those months away from each other had never happened. His love for her had only grown more intense, and from the way she was reacting to his touches, it was the same for her.

In a moment of pure bliss, he gritted his teeth and said in a rough voice, "Do you have any idea how much I love you? Do you know that I would kill for you, die for you? Do you know that you are my life, Sakura?"

At his words, she had gone still, her body hot and throbbing, but his words were enough to make her freeze.

He loved her? Really? She looked into his face, to see if he regretted saying those words, and he must have understood her insecurity.

Calming himself, he looked her in the eyes, and allowed the words to flow again, but this time, it was not because of his lust.

"I love you, Sakura." He murmured, and reached up to brush away her tears that were slowly sliding down her cheeks. "I have loved you ever since we were kids, and I am going to love you even on my death bed. Don't you ever doubt my feelings for you, not even a little. I love you, and I want you."

As a sob caught in her throat, he pulled her down, so that her head was back in the crook of his neck. Her arms tightened around him, and he smiled. Women got all mushy over the simplest things. She should know, by now, just how deeply his love ran where she was concerned. Hell, everyone knew how much he loved her. He just needed to get over his anger, and began to think rationally again.

Minutes passed by without a single word from either of them. His arousal had deflated, much to kyuubi's displeasure, but he was more than satisfied.

But, his satisfaction increased drastically when Sakura's sleepy voice hit his ears.

"I love you, too, Naruto." 

* * *

Sasuke glared over at the twin green weirdos and sighed when they began to give each other high fives. Now he knew why Neji was always rolling his eyes, and why Tenten always seemed to be staring off elsewhere.

Now that he was no longer on a team with Sakura, he would have to come up with something else, something drastic. He could not lose her, not to Naruto.

How dare that fool call him out. Who in the hell did he think he was, competing with an Uchiha? His family was the best that Konoha had to offer, and instead of supporting him, his fellow ninja were backing that freak.

Well, perhaps it was time to remind people why Naruto was a freak. He was, after all, housing the creature that had killed so many people, and destroyed several homes.

When you got to the core of Naruto, there was that damn nine-tailed fox, just waiting to pounce on his poor, unsuspecting village. Well, he had a duty to Sakura, as well as Konoha, to remind them of the tragedy that the nine-tailed brought about.

He was sure that once he convinced Sakura that Naruto was nothing more than a beast, she would come running to him for protection, and he would protect her with everything he had.

Of course, he would have to deal with those few who were loyal to the loser, but they would soon see the light, as they remembered those who fell. Sakura, being the ambassador, would then declare that Naruto was a threat and, with his urging, ban the freak from their village, just as he should have been the day he had been conceived.

Hell, it was a wonder that he had survived for so long, and that he had even managed to earn the fourth hokage's sympathy, thus issuing a request that Naruto be respected for housing the beast. But, the village knew.

They knew that he was a danger and treated him accordingly. They also protected their children, making sure that their kids didn't bring the outcast home to play. They knew, and even though Naruto had managed to lull them into a sense of security, he would remind them of just what he is and would become.

He was positive that the fox would run free, and that it was just biding its time in that weak idiot. But, Uchiha Sasuke would not watch his home be destroyed. He had avenged his clan, and he would save Konoha.

The avenger would rise again, only this time, instead of the satisfaction of seeing his enemy fall, his payment would be in the form of a woman, who burned for him, just as he burned for her.

Naruto's days were numbered. Happy with his decision, he turned and began to walk back to Konoha. After all, he had a lot to do before the fool returned. 

* * *

The small group gathered around the fire, and Tsunade sighed. "I can't believe how controlled Naruto was. He has really grown up." She said, a proud smile upon her face.

"Yeah, and it's all because of his handsome sensei." Jiraiya bragged, but glared over at him when Kakashi said, "Why, thank you. But, I'm not really one for such praise."

Neji poked at the burning logs with a stick, his eyes trying not to turn to where he knew his cousin and her lover were sitting. He knew that he should butt out, but he just didn't want Hinata to lose what innocence she had left.

Tenten sighed when she noticed that Neji's attention, was once again, upon his cousin. She had worn her special dress, the one Ino and Hinata had helped her pick out, but he failed to notice. In fact, he had barely touched her all night.

Lee frowned when he saw Tenten's frown. Was Neji out of his mind? How could he not pay attention to the beautiful woman beside him? Sure, he was still in love with Sakura, but she had made her choice to be with Naruto, and though he did have a crush on Tenten, his heart was being won over by a very sweet village girl who had these amazing green eyes.

However, when he had suggested a ruse to force Neji to confront his feelings for the weapon's mistress, she quickly agreed, and even though they had made some good headway, it seemed that the stoic man was more concerned with his cousin than his lover.

Perhaps it was time to step up his game? When Tenten's eyes met his, Lee calmly asked, "My sweet Tenten, will you do me the honor of taking a walk with me?"

Tenten bit her lip and glanced over at Neji, but the young man seemed too preoccupied to notice that Lee had asked her a question. Hell, she and Lee could make out right in front of him, and Neji would still be looking over at Hinata.

Her mind made up, she smiled and nodded. The young man smiled down at her, and offered his hand to her. When she took it and stood up, Neji finally looked over at her, his face showing his displeasure when he realized whose hand Tenten was holding.

"Where in the hell do you think you are going?" He demanded, his tone angry. Tenten knew how he felt, so why was she holding hands with the 'green fool of Konoha'?"

Tenten bit her lip and then squared her shoulders. "I'm surprised that you actually noticed, Neji." She snapped. "But, to answer your question, Lee asked me if I wanted to take a walk, and I said yes. After all, I would not want to interrupt you as you stalk Hinata and Kiba."

Neji's cheeks turned a bright red, and he watched as Lee led Tenten from the group, her arm secure around his. His eyes turned to Gai when the older man cheered.

"I am thrill to see two of my students discovering the joys of youthful romance." He said, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I believe that I can see a wedding in the not too distant future."

Neji shook his head and huffed. Fine, if that was how Tenten wanted it, then she could have Lee. How dare she say that he was stalking his cousin and the dog-boy?

His mind made up, Neji got up and walked over to get something to eat. However, despite having made up his mind, he felt strangely empty.

This was all Tenten's fault. 

* * *

The fire crackled, causing Naruto to open his eyes. Glancing over, he noticed the clock and frowned. His frown deepened into a scowl when he heard a faint knock on the door.

Who in the fuck would dare to disturb them, especially after they had made such an important confession to each other? Someone was asking to die.

Gently, he rolled Sakura onto her back and covered her all the way up to her chin. He didn't want anyone seeing her body, and if it was Sasuke, he'd just have to kill the man, anyways. He could always go and hide the body and be back before Sakura woke up.

Yanking on his jeans, he hissed when he heard another knock, and when he finally went to the door, he yanked it open to find a drunken Neji.

Frozen in shock, Naruto watched as Neji stumbled past him, and went to sit on the bed, completely missing the fact that Sakura was resting peacefully on the bed. Rushing over before the man could wake her, he grabbed Neji by his shirt, and yanked him into the bathroom, before closing the door behind them.

"What in the hell are you doing here, Neji?" Naruto demanded, his tone sharp. "And, have you been drinking?"

"She love L-lee." Neji slurred, his body swaying lightly. He didn't resist as Naruto helped him sit down on the toilet, though he did have the thought that the toilet would probably come in handy pretty soon.

Naruto was confused. Of course, he was still sleepy, so his mind just could not grasp at what Neji was saying. "Who loves Lee?" He asked, curious.

"Tenten." Neji answered, his face pinched. His heart hurt so much, and he could not understand why Tenten would want Lee when she had him.

Naruto began to laugh. "Are you kidding me?" He asked, his tone merry. "Tenten loves you, you giant ass."

Glaring up at Naruto, and snapped, "She went for a walk with him. She was holding the asshole's hand."

Shrugging, Naruto asked, "And, what were you doing right before they went for a walk?"

Neji frowned. He had been watching over Hinata, as was his duty. Naruto nodded. "Let me guess, you were making sure that Kiba was being a good boy with Hinata, right?" He prodded.

"Of course." Neji muttered. "It is my duty."

"No," Naruto said, irritated, "It is Kiba's duty to see to Hinata. It is your duty to see to Tenten. Neji, you have got to let Kiba do his job. You are ignoring Tenten's needs."

Naruto waited for Neji to respond, but when the man began to tilt over, he realized that the ass had fallen asleep. Reaching out, he grabbed Neji and steadied him, before pulling him off the toilet and onto the floor.

Well, if he had not had so much to drink, then he would have fallen asleep in a bed, rather than his and Sakura's bathroom. But, when the thought that Sakura might have to get up sometime during the night to use the bathroom, and the fact that she was naked, made him pause.

He weighted all of his options and then shrugged. Well, he couldn't stay in the bathroom, nor could he crash on the bedroom floor, so that left only one other place, other than outside. 

* * *

Neji awoke with a stiff neck and frowned. He was in a very small space, facing a door that had small wooden slats. Standing up, he ended up hitting his head on a bar, and glared up at it, his mind registering that he was in a closet.

Opening the door, he glared at Naruto, when the blonde cheekily said, "Look, baby...Neji finally came out of the closet."

Sakura giggled but quickly went to Neji's side when she saw him touch his head. "Hangover, right?" She asked, and then sighed. Motioning to her chair, she waited for him to sit down and then allowed her chakra to flow through her hands, soothing away his headache. Soon, all that was left was a memory of his hangover, and the sight of Tenten holding Lee's hand.

He also remembered his resolve to give her up. However, he was being foolish. He never gave up when something meant a great deal to him, and Tenten meant a lot to him. He was going to fight for his girl.

But, as he thought, Naruto's words from the night before began to echo in his mind. Perhaps it was time to let Hinata go. He would simply focus his attentions to Tenten, and she would have to deal with his constant attention.

Lee didn't stand a chance.


	17. Crossroads

Together, they walked through the village, and Sakura blushed when several of the villagers called out to her, wishing her well and that everything would work out for her. Great. So, now everyone knew of what had happened the previous day, and now, they were all going to show her and Naruto their support.

They had their very own cheering squad.

However, she remained quiet as they walked and thought about the words that they had said to each other.

I love you. Three little words that she had once spoken to Sasuke, in an attempt to prevent him from leaving the village, but failed. Three little words that could build or destroy a person. Three little words that she had spoken to Naruto, and had them returned.

It was wonderful.

Glancing up, she noticed that Naruto was smiling down at her, and she blinked up at him. "What?" She asked, wondering if something was on her face.

The blonde shook his head and tightened his grip on her hand, before saying, "Nothing. I was just thinking that we might go and take a walk on some of the paths that the elder had told us about, at breakfast, yesterday."

Smiling, she nodded. That did sound like a very good idea. From what she had heard, the trails were all filled with beautiful sights and that there were a few paths that would take them to a place that overlooked the ocean.

Grinning, Naruto looked forward and then cocked his eyebrow up. He could see the others from Konoha, and from what the looks of things, Neji and Lee were about to throw down. Tenten was standing next to Temari, her hand covering her mouth as she watched both men insult each other.

Moving closer, they could hear the anger in both men's voices, and when she tried to move closer, Naruto stopped her, and shook his head. This was something that had been a long time coming.

Neji gritted his teeth and snapped, "You have no business interfering with Tenten and me. Who in the hell do you think you are?"

"Someone who doesn't want to see Tenten racing after someone, who seems intent on focusing his energy on another." Lee replied, quietly. "You are more concerned about what Hinata does, that you have failed to see just how much Tenten cares for you. But, knowing that you couldn't give Tenten the attention that she needs, you still allowed her to give herself to you. What kind of man does that? What kind of man takes a woman's body when he isn't able to give her the devotion that she deserves?"

"I've given her everything that I can." Neji gritted out. "I am simply not a man who can ignore his duties, despite how I feel. I have a duty to my family. Everything else comes second."

Sakura's heart went out to Tenten, whose face turned white. However, Neji and Lee failed to see her reaction. Gai turned to the small female, and placed his hand upon her shoulder, while he tried to come up with some sort of comforting words. Ino and Temari glared over at the two men, while Hinata allowed silent tears to fall from her eyes.

"Everything else comes second?" Lee asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You would place a woman, who loves you, second to a duty? Why?"

Neji was silent for several moments, his mind finally able to slow down and he was able to calm himself from the confrontation that he had started. When he finally spoke, he was calm.

"I am to protect the head of the Hyuuga family." He said, proudly. "Hinata-sama is head of the family, now. Until she marries, she is my duty. Tenten understands my position."

All eyes turned towards Tenten, whose face was now hidden by her hair. Lee felt his heart drop at the sight of her shoulders sagging, and the sight of tears falling from her chin. Glancing over at the Hyuuga prodigy, he noticed the stunned look on the normally stoic man's face.

Taking a deep breath, Neji stepped towards the girl, and said, "I care a great deal for you, Tenten. I do wish to be with you, but I've told you that I need to see Hinata married to Kiba before we can begin any kind of relationship, other than what we have now."

"I know." Tenten replied, quietly. Raising her head, her tears streaking over her cheeks, she said, "I can't do this, anymore. It isn't fair to me. I won't be second best to anybody, Hinata included. So, to save myself from being a glutton for punishment, I've decided to give you up. So, now you can do your duty to the best of your ability, and I'll do my best to find someone who will put me, and only me, first. I deserve that."

Turning on her heel, Tenten moved away from the group, her head held high, and didn't look back when her name was called by Ino. When she was alone, then she could break. But, not here, and not in front of him. Never in front of him.

Neji stood frozen, his face showing his shock. Lee gazed at him sympathetically. When Neji's white eyes looked over at him, Lee sighed.

"She wanted you to want her." He explained, his eyes moving to look at the ground. "When she refused me in favor of you, I offered to help her gain your attentions by making you think that I, too, wanted her. She believed that you would come to love her, just as she loves you, but I can now see that she and I were wrong. You are not capable of loving anyone, other than a Hyuuga."

Turing in the direction that Tenten went, Lee inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity. He should have warned Tenten that she was placing her love in someone who only loved duty. He should have persuaded her to turn her eyes to him, but alas, he had moved on and would not betray his sweet flower. But, he could be Tenten's friend, and she needed a friend, right now.

Neji's mind had frozen to a complete stop, and it was only when Hinata touched his shoulder that he finally looked up.

Hinata's face was pale, and she softly asked, "Aren't you going to go after her? She loves you, Neji. You aren't going to give her up, are you?"

He had every intention on fighting for her. He had believed that Tenten had understood his position and would wait for him. He had been lied to. Tenten and Lee had concocted this plan to make him jealous, and when it worked, she decided that she wanted more. More than what he could give. It was unforgivable.

"No, Hinata-sama." He said, his tone hard. "I will not be going after her. Not now, and not ever. I don't need a liar in my life."

Turning on his heel, Neji walked away from the group, his resolve firm. How could he have been so blind to what they were up to? They played him for a fool.

Hinata burst into tears. This was not what she wanted for her cousin, or her friend. Tenten's motives had been full of love, and she had devoted much of her time to her cousin. But, her cousin just could not give his duty to their family up. Even now, he lived in the cage that he had wanted to escape for so long. It just wasn't fair.

Kiba silently held his woman, his eyes downcast. Seeing Hinata cry was not something that he ever wanted to see, but when she did cry, he always felt this intense need to make things better for her. Looking up, he clenched his teeth, and then gently handed Hinata over to Ino, who had been silent throughout the entire ordeal.

Walking in the direction that Neji had went, he ignored the calls of his friends. He and Neji were going to settle this. Now. 

* * *

Sakura moved to follow the dog ninja, but Naruto held her back. When she turned her eyes towards his, he shook his head.

"It isn't our business, Sakura." He murmured. "This has been something that Neji and Kiba need to settle between themselves, and they need to do it without an audience. Besides, don't we have some trails to walk? You said we could, remember?"

Sakura's bad mood quickly lifted at the sight of his scrunched up face, and the adorable pout upon his lips. Nodding, she allowed him to take her hand, and called out a good bye to their friends. It would all work out. It just had to. 

* * *

"We need to talk." Kiba snarled, his fists clenched. "Now."

Neji stood up, and calmly stared at his friend. "Do not try to defend Tenten's behavior to me." He said, his tone bored. "She lied to all of us, and I will not associate with someone like that."

"You're a fucking hypocrite." Kiba snapped, and nodded when Neji's eyes darted over to him. "You heard me right. I called you a fucking hypocrite."

Lifting an eyebrow, Neji said, "And what have I lied about, Kiba? I have not lied to her, or anyone else."

Kiba barked out a laugh, and then narrowed his eyes. "You've lied to that poor girl from day one." He said, his arms crossing over his chest. "You've given her and everyone else, the impression that you were ready to make a commitment to her. But, each time you get her hopes up, you bring up your precious duty. You've lied to her face each and every single time you've told her that you would step back and let me and Hinata live our lives. You've lied to her each time you screwed her, telling her that she was the only woman you wanted. But, the worst thing you have done is you've lied to yourself."

"And how have I done that?" Neji snapped, his anger quickly growing.

"You've gotten it into your thick skull that Hinata needs you, but she doesn't." Kiba said. "I take good care of my woman and she never has to doubt where my priority lies. But, you can't say the same, can you? Your woman has finally opened her eyes and seen that the only person you love, is Neji. But, I think that I've finally figured out what your real problem is, though."

"Oh, care to enlighten me?" Neji snapped, his temper beginning to boil. He was growing tired of listening to Kiba talk. Nothing he was going to say was going to change his mind. He was right, and Tenten was wrong.

"I think that deep down, you're afraid of Tenten." Kiba sneered. "In fact, I know that you are afraid. If that woman was able to get you to love her, then you would see that not everything is black and white. You'd have to find something else to do besides being the protector of the Hyuuga heiress. And, you're afraid that when Hinata and I marry, you'll simply be forgotten, and you are trying to ensure that in Hinata's eyes, you'll always have a place."

Neji had heard enough. Without warning, he began to run at Kiba, his eyes wild with anger. However, he was not ready for the punch that he received, and when he fell to the ground and started to get up, a hard voice froze him in his tracks.

"Don't you dare get up."

Looking up, he found himself staring into a pair of eyes that were identical to his own. Falling back down to the ground, he watched as his cousin turned to Kiba and calmly said, "My cousin and I need to talk. It's been long overdue, and I want to do this in private. I'll see you later."

Kiba wasn't a stupid man. He knew when to argue and when not to, and this was a time when not to. Nodding, he turned and walked away, though he couldn't stop the sudden pang of sympathy for his friend.

Neji was going to get it. 

* * *

Sakura gasped as she watched the leaves falling from the trees, their colors mingling as they fell. Turning, she giggled when she saw that Naruto was currently covered in leaves, and was doing his best to shake them out of his hair.

"Well, it's your fault." She giggled. "You shouldn't have jumped into that pile of leaves."

"But, it's so much fun." He argued, his eyes twinkling merrily. "See!"

Sakura squealed as he tackled her, bringing her down into the sea of leaves with him. Laughing, she looked up at him as he hovered over her, and she couldn't help but reach up and pull him down for a kiss.

Naruto's eyes closed as Sakura, for the first time, initiated a kiss between them. As they kissed, he gently lowered himself until his body was lying upon hers, though most of his weight was being supported by his forearms.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled down at her, and then lowered his face until his nose was gently touching hers.

"Do you know how long I have waited for you to kiss me?" He asked, his tone soft. A smirk then formed upon his lips and he chuckled. "Geez, sometimes I think that you make me wait for things, just so you can watch me suffer."

Laughing, she shook her head. When her eyes locked onto his, she reached up and gently stroked his cheek, and murmured, "I can't believe that this is happening to us. Is this real?"

"It's real, baby." He affirmed. "It's real, and we are going to be together for a very long time, Sakura. I hope that you can put up with me, because if not, you are going to have to learn."

Her breath caught in her throat when he said that they were going to be together. It was nice to hear him say that they were in a relationship, though she had been hesitant to ask, mainly because she didn't want to pressure him.

"I think that I can handle that." She whispered, and sighed happily when he smiled and then leaned back down to kiss her.

"Ok, I think that we'd better get moving, if we want to see the other sights." He said, as he broke the kiss. He looked up at the sky and could see that they had been in that one spot for quite a while.

Sakura blushed and nodded, then accepted his hand when he offered it to pull her up. His larger hand covered hers, and he led her down several more trails until they came to a peak, overlooking the ocean. Sakura gave a soft cry of joy, as she watched the waves crash against the rocks, hitting them with a gentle spray of water.

Naruto smiled fondly as he watched her. The wind kept blowing her hair all around, causing her pink strands to fly around her face, framing it and creating a picture in his mind that he would never forget.

Gods, how he loved this woman.

"It's so pretty here." Sakura said, turning to him with a large smile on her face. She watched as he nodded and then offered his hand to her, once more.

"Let's go and sit underneath that tree, over there." He said, motioning to a large tree. When she nodded, he led her over and then sat down, pulling her down to sit between his legs, with her back against his chest.

Once they were comfortable, he looked down at the bundle in his arms, and silently cursed himself as he tried to think of the words he wanted to ask, but couldn't bring himself to ask.

Sakura could feel him stiffen, and she turned to see him frowning, and wondered what could have altered his mood, so quickly. When his eyes turned down to hers, she asked, "Are you ok?"

Taking a deep breath, he decided to just ask, and if she hit him, well...he'd have been asking for it. This time.

"Have you ever slept with another man?" He asked, and then mentally kicked the shit out of his brain. That was not how he had wanted to ask her about her sexual experience. But, on the other hand, he needed to know just how careful he would have to be with her, when they did decide to sleep together. But, if she were experienced, then all he would have to worry about would be pleasuring his Sakura.

Cheeks aflame, her mouth dropped open, and then shut as her brain tried to come up with an answer other than a swift punch and a loud, "None of your fucking business, you pervert!"

However, she finally managed to ask, "What?"

Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her and said, "I love you, and you know it. But, besides telling you, I want to show you, too. I just needed to know if you have ever been with a man, or if I would need to be careful with you, especially since it would be your first time."

She didn't answer him for several moments, and he figured it was because she was trying to come up with some kind of answer and a threat to issue, and that perhaps it would be best if he just dropped the entire subject.

"I've never, um, been with anyone else." She whispered, as she stared at his forearms, that were currently holding her against his chest. "I've only wanted you."

Inner Sakura was hiding her face in her hands and muttering, "This is so embarrassing. We should have just kicked him and prayed that he'd let the subject go."

He had to know. He had to know when her feelings for Sasuke had changed. He didn't want her to one day wake up and wonder what could have been if she had decided to accept Sasuke's advances. He just had to be sure.

"What about Sasuke?" He asked. "Do you still have feelings for him?" Ok, he would admit it. He was a bit insecure when it came to the last Uchiha. After all, for years, Sakura had wanted him and now, she was here with him, speaking the words he had only dreamed about.

Sakura turned in his lap and moved so that she straddled his legs. Cupping his face, she brought her forehead down to meet his and looked him straight in the eye.

"I care for Sasuke," She replied, "But, it's you that I love. I suppose that when he told me, that night when he left Konoha, that I made him sick, a part of me decided that I couldn't love someone who could say that to me. You, on the other hand, have never spoken down to me, even when you and I were not on the best of terms. No, the feelings I have for him are those that are friendly, and will never go anywhere other than that."

Smiling up at her, he nodded. He, too, could understand her words. Sasuke had burned a lot of bridges when he left the village, but because of her, sometimes, gentle heart, Sakura had been willing to forgive, but a large part of her still held a grudge, and he couldn't say that he blamed her. He had, as of yet, forgiven Sasuke for hurting her so badly. If not for Sakura, he could have just let bygones be bygones, and went on his merry way. When it came to Sakura, he could hold a grudge for a very long time.

But, the problem with her words, was that he knew that Sasuke's words, though they were hurtful, were not true. The truth of the matter was, he made himself sick and had needed to leave, and train, so that he could take on Itachi, and win. She, unfortunately, had been the one standing in his way, and he attacked her where he knew it would hurt her the most.

He also knew that she did love him. Uzamaki Naruto. She came to love him all on her own, and had seen him at his best, worst, and most stupid. She loved him, faults and all, just as he loved her.

Sakura's eyes widened when she came into contact with a certain part of Naruto's anatomy. At first, she had ignored it, but as they continued to talk, and their bodies drew closer, she could feel him swelling, growing against her, and it...excited her.

To know that she could arouse this man was intoxicating. She, Haruno Sakura, could make Naruto hard, and she knew that she was the only woman he wanted to make him hard.

Lifting an eyebrow, Naruto watched as Sakura looked down at where their bodies met, and he knew that she had felt him. Never before had he felt so hard, not even when they were in the shower, but now, feeling her on top of him, her body protected by their clothing, he was helpless to stop his body's natural reaction to her, and he refused to stop it, too.

His hands came to her waist and gently held her, while his hips lifted slightly, brushing his arousal against her, causing the woman in his grasp to gasp. When her eyes met his, he smirked and did it again, but this time, a little bit harder.

Sakura's mind was quickly clouding over, her brain lost in a haze of lust. When his hands began to move upward, taking her shirt with them, she didn't stop him, and in fact, lifted her arms to help him take the garment off.

He threw her shirt to the ground and stared at her chest, which was covered by a silky bra. He knew that she wore bindings for training, but never, in his wildest dreams, had he ever pictured her in this kind of item.

Sakura bit her lip as he studied her bra, which was a simple white lace. Because she wasn't too big, she could wear the playful little bras, and she hoped that he liked what he was looking at. Moments later, the bra joined her shirt, and before she could blink, his mouth was upon her breasts.

"See, I told you he'd like it." Inner Sakura crowed. "The damn thing didn't last even three minutes."

When his teeth nipped at her nipple, her hands went to his hair, and she she pulled his head closer to her, her nails biting into his scalp as a way of anchoring him to her body.

Her scent, her taste, and the feel of her skin against his was slowly driving all sane thoughts out of his head. He could smell the tantalizing aroma of her arousal was making any sort of coherent thought impossible and he knew that he could not stop.

The man in him needed her, and so did the beast.

He knew that the kyuubi had caught Sakura's scent and he could hear the kitsune growling, though it was not a growl that was meant to frighten. This growl was of a male scenting a desired female, and it was ready to mate.

Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Sakura's head thrown back, her body shaking as, for the first time, she experienced what it was like to be physically loved by the man who held her heart.

She just couldn't stop shaking. With each suck of his mouth, she could feel something in her stomach tighten, and she knew that if he continued, she would fall over some kind of edge and into an abyss of pleasure.

Naruto felt her reach down and pull his shirt up to expose his own chest. Impatiently, he yanked it off, and didn't give a damn as to where it landed, but was more intent on tasting more of his delicious female.

Sakura suddenly felt him move, and quickly found herself upon her back, with him hovering over her.

Naruto was so hungry for her that he felt as if he were about to lose control. But, he needed her to say that he could have her. He would never force her into something she was not ready for, and if she wasn't ready to make love, he would back off, though the kyuubi disagreed.

"If you want to stop this, tell me now." He gritted out, sweat forming upon his brow from the strain. "I need to know if you want this."

Sakura's eyes went wide at his words, and she could see that he was shaking badly. He was more concerned about her needs, rather than his own and was willing to back off, if she needed more time.

Well, she didn't need more time. She needed him, and she wasn't going to wait another minute to get him.

Reaching up, she laced her fingers into his hair and pulled him down. "I want you." She said, her voice sure. "We are not stopping. Not now, not ever."

That was all he needed to hear. His eyes flashed from blue to red and back to blue before his mouth covered hers in what she believed was the most passionate kiss they had shared, so far. As his tongue stroked hers, she was vaguely aware of his hands moving down her body, stripping her of the obstacles that were in his way.

Soon, his need for her overtook his senses, and as they loved one another, he could feel the pleasure threatening to break out with each touch. This really was heaven.

When his eyes opened, he realized that he was now lying beside Sakura, his body free from hers, but both were still covered in a thin sheen of sweat, telling him that it had only been a couple of moments since he had passed out.

Sliding over to her, he slid his arm underneath her head, causing her eyes to fly open and look at him. Smiling up at him, she reached up and cupped his cheek.

"Are you ok?" She asked, slightly worried. In all of the time she had known him, Naruto never passed out, especially after something that didn't include a lot of pain and exertion.

Grinning like a fool, he nodded and pulled her so that her head was upon his chest. "So, what happens now, Sakura?" He asked, his tone light. "How do you want to handle this?"

She frowned. Was sleeping with her so humiliating to him that he was now worried about how they were going to act? Lifting her head, her fears must have shown on her face, because he, too, frowned and then tightened his arms around her.

"I mean, do you want to continue to act like friends in public, or will you be willing to show others that you and I are together. I know that with you being the ambassador, you have an image to maintain, and I don't want to do anything to taint that image." He explained, though the pang of having to hide echoed in his chest.

Sakura stared at him for a few minutes and then began to laugh. "I thought that you were going to tell me that you didn't want others to know that we were together." She said, sheepishly. "As for me being the ambassador, I don't care what others think. I want everyone to know that we are together, and to hell if people don't like it."

Smirking, he bent his head and kissed the top of her head. But, a thought came to his mind. Lord Masahara won't be happy to find out that his intended had found herself another man. 'Well, it's his problem.' He thought, stubbornly. 'He can go and find himself some other girl. Sakura is all mine.'

Sakura watched Naruto's face and nearly burst out laughing at the way his face would scrunch up and then relax. When his eyes met hers, she smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

"I'm in love with you, Uzamaki Naruto." She said, her eyes just as soft as her voice. As her hand continued to stroke his cheek, he grinned and said, "I know, Sakura. I know, and I love you, probably more than you'll ever know."

Snuggling her deep into his embrace, he was content to watch the clouds float by, and grinned.

'This is the best day of my life.' 

* * *

"This is the worst day of my life." Tenten sobbed, her face buried in her hands. She felt his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back, but it didn't do anything to sooth her.

"I'm so stupid, Lee." She said, her voice cracking. "I should have known that he would never let me close to him."

"Perhaps you and Neji need some time away from each other." Lee suggested, but winced when the girl began to cry harder.

"Well," Tenten said, after her sobs decreased. "He'll have all the time he needs. I'm not going near him ever again. He can have his fucking duty."

When she began to cry harder than before, Lee was at a loss as to what to say. So, he brought her close to him and let her cry into his chest, praying that his presence would be enough to help her through her pain, at least for now.

As Tenten cried, Lee could not help but wonder what Neji was doing and if he was even thinking about Tenten, at all. 

* * *

"You are going to listen to me, Neji." Hinata said, her tone soft, though determined. "You are going to listen good. I am sick of watching my friend bend over backwards, only to have you ignore her. Then, you have the nerve to act as if you are the injured party. Let me tell you something. You have neglected her, except for when you want sex, and you get angry when someone else pays attention to her. Make up your mind. If you want her, then prove it. If not, let her go to someone who does want her."

Neji studied his cousin for several moments before asking, "May I speak freely?"

When she nodded, he glared at the ground and said, "She lied to me, Hinata-sama. She and Lee cooked up this plot to get me to involve myself in a relationship, and had I known that she could be so deceptive, I'd never have touched her."

Lifting her eyebrow, Hinata snapped, "Bullshit."

"You really have been hanging around Inuzuka too long." He muttered, and ignored her glare.

"The only reason why you are really angry is because you do love her." Hinata said. "You love her so much, but are too scared to say it. You think that, like your father, she will one day have to leave you. So, despite the fact that you do want her, you are willing to give her up before the day when she might be ripped from you, comes."

"That is ridiculous." He snapped, no longer concerned with being polite. "I can't stand liars."

Smiling, Hinata asked, "So, I guess you don't look at your reflection much, do you?"

When he glared at her, she shrugged. "Tenten didn't lie to you." She said, her tone even. "The only person who has lied to you, is you. You've made it an obligation to watch over me, but believe me when I say that I don't need you to watch over me. Kiba does a good job, and I can watch out for myself. Remember, you are the one who has trained me, besides Kurenai-sensei."

Turning his back to his cousin, he frowned as the image of Tenten's tear-streaked face entered his mind. Her tears bothered him, and despite his anger, he couldn't help but wonder if she were all right. He could still hear her words, and though he was loath to admit it, he felt badly about how his words came out.

"Are you listening to me, Neji?" Hinata asked, her never-ending patience beginning to fade. When her cousin turned, she paused in her lecture, and asked, "Are you ok?"

"I feel as if I've been made a fool of." He said, his eyes looking at the ground. "I can't help but think that if she loved me, she could have been more honest about it instead of creating this plot with Lee. I'm not stupid, but while I do have some issues, the main issue I have is being made a fool of."

Hinata sighed. "All I can say is that she loves you, Neji." She said. "Let me ask you something. If the roles were reversed, and you were in Tenten's shoes, would you have risked everything to be with her? After all, she risked losing you and your respect, and wound up losing them anyways. What is the length you would go for someone you love? You've already seen how far she is willing, but the question is, how far would you go?"

As she turned, she glanced over her shoulder and said, "As of this minute, Kiba is my guardian and will continue to be so even after he becomes my husband. Find someone else to protect."

He watched her walk away, and allowed his shoulders to wilt. Lowering himself to the ground, he frowned as he allowed Hinata's words to echo. Perhaps he was afraid. He loved his father, and watched him die because of his uncle. He was afraid to love Tenten, because as a ninja, their lifespan was never guaranteed. He couldn't stand to see her die.

But, could he live without her in his life? Was he really willing to move forward, never touching her, kissing her, adoring her?

With a rough sigh, he hoisted himself up and turned to walk back to the village. He needed to think and perhaps he and Tenten could find somewhere quiet to talk. She needed to understand his point of view, and had to respect his wishes, just as he would hers.

But, if he thought that he was going to get to speak to her, he was sorely mistaking. When he saw his group of friends, he walked over and found Lee talking to Hinata.

"So, she'll keep an eye on the Uchiha, and then, she will be putting in a transfer to Suna." He said, his large eyes wide with shock. "She has already spoken with Temari, and Temari has agreed to speak to the kazekage. It's pretty much a done deal. I think that, perhaps, she has finally had enough and has decided to do something about it."

Hinata's mouth was covered by her hand, and she turned to look at him when he called her name. Moving forward, he missed the sympathetic glances from the men, but saw all of the glares from the women.

Hinata took a deep breath. She blamed him for this. "Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on a job well done." She hissed, no longer caring about anyone's feelings. "Tenten has told Lee that she intends to put in a transfer to Suna. So, she'll be out of your way. I hope you are happy, Neji. You'll finally be rid of her."

She watched as her cousin's eyes went wide, and his eyes began to search for her. "Where is she?" He demanded, his tone hard. He watched as Kiba moved to stand beside Hinata, but dismissed the man as the cousins stared each other down. "Where is Tenten, Hinata?"

It was the first time in years that he did not use her honorific. However, she ignored it and said, "She left for Konoha about an hour ago. She is going to watch over Sasuke, until we arrive."

Nodding sharply, he turned and began to walk. Someone called his name, but Lee stopped them from trying to stop the determined man.

"My friends," He said, "I can see the beginnings of a love that will last a lifetime. Let us stand back and watch what happens. I have a feeling that Tenten will have a change of heart."

Kiba snorted. Hell, the only thing that would be happening is Tenten yanking off Neji's balls and shoving them down his throat for how he treated her. Still, if there was anyone who could calm the weapon's mistress, it would be the Hyuuga.


	18. Remembering The Two Most Dear To Me

The candles flickers as the lovers writhed together, straining to each reach their peak. It had been only a couple of hours since they returned to their room, but it seemed like an eternity, as they found new ways to express their love to one another.

His hands were clenching the bedsheets, and his low growls soothed her, as he knew they would. It would appear that despite not being able to touch her, himself, the kyuubi was attempting to seduce their female, and knew his growls would do the trick.

Sakura seemed to love the growls, because each time he did it, her back arched and she pressed her body even closer to his. His growl quickly turned into a moan, as Sakura's face buried itself against his sweaty neck, her teeth breaking his skin as she finally reached her peak.

When her mouth left his neck, he quickly moved so that his lips were upon hers, and he could taste his own blood on her lips, and he smiled against her lips.

When they finally pulled back to breath, he allowed his forehead to fall against hers, as his hands ran over her body, making sure that he didn't harm her during their lovemaking.

She sighed happily and didn't fight him as he moved her to lie on her back. Propping himself up on one elbow, he grinned down at her and said, "I think that you gave me a hickey."

Lifting her eyebrow, she smugly replied, "No, I gave you three. One on the right side of your neck, one on the left side, and one on your right inner thigh."

When she began to giggle madly, he snorted and shook his head. However, his mood quickly changed when he softly said, "Tomorrow, we go back to Konoha. I have to admit, I'm nervous."

"Why?" Sakura asked, frowning. "Is it because of what people might say about us?"

Giving her a stern look, he shook his head and said, "You know better than that. No, what I am nervous about is that we'll have to inform that stuffy lord that you are no longer going to marry him, and we still have to get Sasuke out of our hair. Things could get nasty."

Sakura's eyes turned towards the window, and she sighed. No matter what they did, or how far they came, in some way, shape, or form, Sasuke would always cast a shadow over them. When she was younger, she had chased after the youngest Uchiha in hopes of him returning her misguided love, but now that she was a woman, she longed for someone who saw her in the same light as she saw them, and now, she had that.

She didn't need or want Sasuke. She had Naruto, and in her opinion, he was the best thing to ever happen to her.

He watched as her face contorted as she delved into her thoughts. He nearly laughed at some of her expressions, and while he wanted to know what was on her mind, he knew enough about his pink beauty to know that when she wanted to tell him what she was thinking about, she would.

Coming to a decision, she looked up at Naruto, who was watching her with curious eyes. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Looking into his eyes, she softly said, "Let Sasuke do his worst. I am not losing you."

"You will never lose me, Sakura." Naruto whispered, his lips brushing against hers. "I told you before, we are going to be together for a very long time. This is only the beginning for us."

Smiling, Sakura returned his kiss and when they broke apart, she whispered, "It's a beautiful beginning." 

* * *

Neji frowned as he walked towards the center of the village. It was clear to him that there was some kind of commotion going on, but he was not sure what it was. However, when he reached the center, he found Tenten, along with Lord Masahara's companions standing before the Uchiha, their faces twisted in anger.

"You cannot condemn Naruto for something that the fourth hokage did that was in the protection of this village." Tenten snapped, her face twisted into a mask of rage. "To even bring up the nine-tails tells me that you are getting desperate, Sasuke."

Sasuke leveled a cool glared at Tenten and then addressed the crowd. "It was the nine-tails who killed our fourth hokage." He said, his voice calm. "Had the fourth hokage lived, then the third hokage would still be alive today, because it would have been the fourth hokage who would have fought Orochimaru and saved Konoha. Uzumaki Naruto is a youkai hiding in a human body. How long will it be before the fox breaks free?"

"The fox will never break free of Naruto." Neji said, stepping onto the platform and coming to a stop at Tenten's side. He inwardly winced when he saw her stiffen, and knew if he saw it, then so did the Uchiha. However, he had to settle this matter before Sakura and Naruto came home. He would not allow this fool to destroy their happiness. "The fox is no longer a threat, and you, of all people, should know that Naruto would never harm a person, unless it was in self defense. He loves Konoha. To compare that man to that beast, is criminal."

Sasuke smirked. "Of course you would say that, Hyuuga." He snapped. "After all, your dear cousin is one of Sakura's best friends, and a friend to Naruto. You'd do anything to protect Hinata's interests."

He could hear Tenten's ragged breathing, but his eyes stayed on Sasuke's. "Hinata has chosen another protector." He stated. "Kiba will see to Hinata-Sama's interests. However, I have to wonder what your motive is for this little gathering. Perhaps you are attempting to force Naruto out, so that you will be able to move in on Sakura. Let me inform you, it will never happen."

The people around the small group began to whisper. It was true that Naruto had never harmed the village. Many of them knew that Naruto had every reason to hold a grudge against Konoha, however, he, instead, chose to protect the village. Now, they were wondering why the last Uchiha was attempting to discredit the young man. Was it jealousy?

"It would seem that you plan to turn the village against the young man has failed." A smooth voice said. Sasuke's lips curled into a sneer as Lord Akio Masahara stepped onto the platform and stared him down. "Just how low are you willing to sink to obtain the young ambassador?"

"So, I suppose this marriage proposal of yours was just a ruse to get Sakura and Naruto together." Sasuke said, his face twisting into a smirk. "You could have chosen one of the better ninjas in this village, but you chose the village's idiot. You set this entire thing up, and now, Sakura has to endure that fool. She loves me, and I will not watch her throw her life away simply because of some sort of misguided sense of guilt."

Akio shook his head. "The girl loves the blonde." He said, his tone even. "She chose him because he has loved her for a very long time. Whatever she felt for you, is long gone. You are only causing her pain, and if you continue, I will cause you pain."

"Is that a challenge?" Sasuke snarled, his eyes flashing from black to red. His anger grew as the taller man shook his head and sighed. "I am the last of the Uchihas. You will not disrespect me."

"You are the last in a long line of fools." A gruff voice snapped. The crowd gave way to reveal Sakura's newest sensei. The old man moved forward, his eyes narrowed.

"Your brother, Itachi, was a very gifted, intelligent individual. He made the decision to break the mold of the Uchiha, and did it in the most vile way possible, hoping to spare you the pain of what he and the others of your line went through." Akumista said. "He died, knowing that you would kill him, but he died at peace, as did Uchiha Obito. He and Obito were the only members of your family who were not driven by their greed and selfishness. I wish Obito had lived. He could have taught you a few things about honor. In my opinion, he was the best of the Uchiha clan, and you, my boy, represent the worst."

"You know nothing, old man." Sasuke gritted out. "Itachi and Obito died foolishly. Itachi could have had everything, but he gave it up. Obito was just a plain fool. Nothing more, nothing less. He was a weak fool who deserved to die."

Before he could say another word, a strong hand clamped down on the back of Sasuke's neck. Suddenly, he came face to face with Kakashi, who'd exposed his own sharingan.

"If you say another word about Obito, it will be the last word you ever speak." Kakashi warned. "You will never speak his name again. You don't have the right."

Looking behind his former sensei, Sasuke saw the hokage, Jiraiya, and the others watching. Neji's mouth was twisted into a smirk. It was never wise to anger Hatake Kakashi. He almost felt sorry for the Uchiha.

Almost, but not quite. 

* * *

When they walked into the village, Sakura frowned. "Where is everyone?" She asked, her green eyes turning to Naruto.

The young man shrugged. This was strange. Normally, the streets of the village were bustling with activity, and now, the streets were deserted.

Grasping her hand, he gave Sakura a gentle tug, and together, they began to walk. As they neared the center of the village, they could hear people talking, and Sakura froze when she heard her sensei's voice.

However, her shock turned to anger when she heard Sasuke call him an old man, disrespecting him in front of the entire village. Moving forward, Sakura led Naruto into the center of the village and watched as Kakashi brought his face close to Sasuke's. However, Naruto stopped them at the edge of the crowd, and together, they watched as Kakashi's stance became threatening.

She couldn't hear what the man said, but judging from his posture, he was very angry. However, what she could not hear, Naruto could.

A large grin spread across his lips as Kakashi dressed Sasuke down in front of their village and watched with glee as the younger man was finally knocked off his pedestal.

"He doesn't know what Obito was like." Sasuke said, trying to defend himself as he motioned towards Akumista. "Obito was lazy, and could never tell the truth."

Kakashi shook his head. "Itachi should have put you out of your misery." He said, his tone hard. "The poison of the Uchiha line had already invaded you, even at the young age you were when Itachi killed the others of the clan. It's clear to me that you know nothing about the Uchiha clan, save for the greed and self-serving traits you seem to share with most of the members of your family."

Letting the younger man go, Kakashi looked to the sky. "Let me tell you about two young ninjas named Obito and Rin." He said, knowing that once he started, he would have to finish. For the first time in his life, his secrets would be revealed, and for once, he didn't care.

"Yes, Obito was lazy, constantly late, and never told the full truth. Except when it came to his teammates." Kakashi said, smiling at the memories underneath his mask. "He was the one who made us laugh, and was the one who told me that, at times, breaking the rules was necessary. It was because of him and Rin, that I broke the rules for the first time, and have continued to break them ever since."

"Obito fell in love with Rin, but she fell in love, or so she thought, with me. No matter what he did, she ignored him, and looked at me, hoping to see her affections reflected. He never told her that he loved her until the day he died. You see, it was on a mission that he was hurt so badly, that he finally told her. Then, he turned to me, and even though he didn't say the words, by giving me his sharingan, he was telling me that he loved me, too. That by giving me the sharingan, he would be with me, watching over me. Rin removed the eye, and placed it within me. I never got a chance to tell him how much I cared about him, too."

Looking up at the sky, Kakashi could feel the pain of that day washing over him. However, he had to continue. "His last wish was for me to watch over Rin. At first, I did it as though it were nothing more than a duty, but then, I began to notice that I was starting to share similar traits that Obito had, like being late, and telling half-truths. Then, I began to feel things for Rin, that I knew Obito had felt. Before his death, I had only seen Rin as a teammate, but after his death, a part of me grew to love her. As the time went on, I noticed that she began to withdraw from everyone, including me. I tried to bring her out of her shell, but I was not successful. Then, we were assigned another mission, with a new teammate, she was injured severely, but I knew that she would be able to heal herself. However, once the battle was over, I went to her and found her slowly bleeding to death. I ordered her to heal herself, but as she took her last breaths, she cried out for Obito, and then walked out of my life, forever. It was as if she had simply given up when Obito died."

Sakura's eyes filled with tears and without a word, she allowed them to slip down her cheeks. So, this was why Obito had returned. He had wanted to force Kakashi to relive those days, and see for himself that he had not been at fault for either of their deaths. However, he had come across her, and decided to help her, instead.

Obito really was one of a kind. Too bad that Sasuke had not taken after him.

Kakashi took in a deep breath and turned his eyes to a still scowling Sasuke. "When I acquired your team, it was as if I were looking back in time. However, instead of history repeating itself, your team managed to surpass mine. The two people who were meant for each other, are together, and should something ever happen to either one of them, I have no doubt that the other will follow shortly after. It's time to grow up, Sasuke." He said, sternly. "Grow up, and move on. Quit thinking of only yourself and start thinking of the two people who have supported you from the beginning."

Naruto looked down to find Sakura crying silently. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he leaned down and whispered, "Let's go back to your apartment, baby. I think that we have seen and heard enough."

Nodding, Sakura allowed him to lead her away, and gave a silent prayer of thanks that they had not been noticed.

However, Lord Masahara had noticed them, and watched as they walked away from the crowd. It was clear to him that they were, in fact, a couple. Looking over at Tsunade, he gave a brief nod, and watched as a bright smile crossed her face.

Sighing, he shook his head and squared his shoulders. Well, win some and lose some. But, damn...he hated to lose. 

* * *

When they entered her apartment, Sakura gave a sigh of relief and plopped down on the couch. She smiled up at Naruto, who looked around and grinned.

"Well, you have a choice." He said, his tone light. "Here or at my apartment."

Cocking her eyebrow up, she asked, "What?"

He took in a nervous breath and then knelt down in front of her. Hopefully, she'd agree. Now that he had a taste of what it was like to sleep with her in his arms, he wasn't ready to give it up. Not one bit.

"We've known each other for a very long time, and now that we are together, I feel as though we've already gone through the 'dating phase' and I think that we need to move onto the 'living together' phase." He replied, his face not showing any sign of nervousness.

His hands, however, were sweaty and he was anxious to wipe them on his pants.

Sakura was quiet, and for a moment, he feared that she would tell him that she wanted to wait for a while to take that step, but grinned like a fool when she said, "I think that it would be better for you to move in here. We'll have more room, and you don't have a lot of stuff. It would be easier to move you, than move me."

"Damn straight!" He cheered, and quickly yanked her into a hug. Laughing, he kissed her cheek, and then said, "Well, let's not waste any more time. Let's go and get my stuff so that we can concentrate on more important matters."

"More important matters?" She asked, curious.

"Yeah, like just how long it will take me to work you up into a frenzy before I make long, slow love to you." He replied, his eyebrows waggling suggestively.

Suddenly, it was Sakura who was in a hurry. "Well, what are we waiting for?" 

* * *

It took only a few moments, but when they finally reached Naruto's apartment building, they smiled at each other and quickly made their way to his door.

Sakura was telling him about a meeting that was coming up with Suna, and frowned when he suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" She asked, and then turned her eyes to look in the direction he was staring at.

Scrawled on his door were the words, _'Here lives the killer of the fourth hokage. Death to the nine-tails.'_

"Oh, gods." Sakura breathed, horrified. "Who in the hell could be so damn cruel?"

Naruto took in a deep breath. "I'll give you one guess." He said, his tone emotionless. He knew exactly who had done this, and even recognized the handwriting. The game was going to come to an end. Today.

Opening the door and pushing Sakura inside, he said, "Stay here. I've got something that I need to do."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but the door closed before she could utter a word. Sighing, she turned and gasped at the mess that greeted her. Naruto's entire apartment was in shambles, and all of his pictures, the ones he held so dear, were ripped to shreds.

Squatting down, she scooped up the pictures, and brought them over to the table. They were lost to Naruto, and even though she didn't say, she also knew who was responsible.

This had gone on for long enough. No more secrets. No more whispering. No more petty comments and rejections simply because of fear.

As the ambassador of Konoha, she had a duty to show all other villages just how good hers was. So, she was going to start by enforcing the fourth hokage's request.

Standing, she walked to the door and opened it. She stepped out into the sunlight and began walking. She didn't know what she was going to say, but if Sasuke crossed her, he would find out why she was considered to be just as, if not more, dangerous than Tsunade-sama.

It would not be Naruto who received her fists. This time, it would be the Uchiha who got to taste her fury.


	19. The Heart Of The Matter

Sakura looked around and sighed. Where in the hell was everyone? When she arrived at the center of the village, she found it to be empty.

She called out to a villager, and was told that the hokage ordered everyone to return to their homes, in order to cool down. Sighing, she turned and began to walk back towards Naruto's apartment, but froze when someone stepped in front of her.

His dark eyes studied her, and he then said, "Sakura, we need to talk."

Lifting her eyebrow, she replied, "I thought that Tsunade-sensei told everyone to go home. Why are you still here, Sasuke?"

"I saw you with the idiot." Sasuke muttered. "He isn't good enough for you, Sakura. When will you realize that he is not in our league? Just because you feel guilty over hitting him, you have fooled yourself into believing that you are in love with him."

Narrowing her eyes, she calmly asked, "So, it was you who broke into Naruto's apartment and destroyed his pictures, wasn't it? It was also you who wrote that hateful comment on his door."

Sasuke smirked. "It was all true." He said, his tone sharp. "He did kill the fourth hokage. Everyone in this village has forgotten just what he is, and I'll be damned if I let you throw yourself or this village away on that beast."

"The only beast here, is you." Sakura snapped, her tone dangerous. "You knew how important those pictures were to him. He cherished those pictures, and you destroyed them because you are nothing more than a hateful, arrogant brat."

Sighing, Sasuke reached out and frowned when the girl before him yanked out of his grasp. "Don't touch me." She hissed, her green eyes narrowing. "I was stupid to ever believe that you were worth my love, and now, I can see you with my eyes wide open and I'm ashamed that I tossed Naruto over for you when we were kids, but then again, kids are always doing stupid things, and falling for you was pretty stupid of me."

"Damn it, Sakura," Sasuke snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Stop acting like this. You're behaving like a spoiled child."

"Me?" Sakura asked, disbelieving. "You are the one going around spray painting hateful words, and ripping up pictures. If you ask me, you're the child."

Sasuke glared down at the woman, but then looked up to see Neji and Kiba stomping towards him and Sakura. He glanced down at her, and then quietly said, "This conversation is not over, Sakura. You will hear me out, and you will come to your senses."

Before she could reply, his hands quickly made several seals and he disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving an angry and saddened Sakura behind. When a warm hand fell on her shoulder, she looked up to find Neji and Kiba staring at her, their mouths set in hard lines.

"What did he say to you?" Neji quietly asked, his eyes locked onto Sakura's.

The young woman sighed and then quietly replied, "I never thought that I could be so wrong about someone, Neji. I thought that Sasuke was a good person, and that once he had killed his brother, that goodness would emerge. But, after what he just said, and all that he has done, I think that perhaps, he is even worse than Orochimaru."

Both men stared at the girl, and then Kiba quietly asked, "Where is Naruto? Why isn't he with you?"

"He left the apartment when we saw what Sasuke had written on his door." Sakura replied, her eyes closing at the memory of those cruel words. "When he put me inside his apartment, I found his pictures ripped up. If Sasuke was looking to hurt Naruto, he did a wonderful job."

Kiba growled, but Neji shook his head at the dog ninja. "Let's walk Sakura back to Naruto's apartment, and then we will go and look for Naruto." He said.

Sakura shook her head. "I'd rather go to my apartment." She murmured. "I can't stand to see those words again. It hurts too much."

Neji nodded and Kiba sighed. This was not how the confrontation was supposed to turn out. They were going to confront Sasuke, and force him to either leave their friends alone, or fight them. Now, it seemed that Sasuke had hit their friends below the belt, knowing that his actions would drive Naruto into a fighting frenzy, and now, they would need to go and look for the angered, young man and try to get him to calm down.

They walked Sakura back to her apartment, and made her promise that she would not leave, or open the door unless it was one of them, and when she agreed, they left and quickly gathered up some of the other ninja to go and look for Naruto.

It didn't take long to find him, and when they drew closer to him, it was clear that the young man was very angry, though he was trying to control himself. Their small group was cautious, and when they got close enough to him, Kiba called out.

"Hey, Uzumaki!" He said. "What are you doing?"

Naruto clenched his fists and he turned to glare at his friends. "Where is he?" He demanded, knowing full well that they would not tell him. He was so angry that all he wanted to do now was to protect his female, and make sure that the asshole he once considered to be a friend never came near her again.

"We don't know where he is, but Sakura is back at her apartment." Neji said, his eyes never leaving Naruto.

His head snapped up. "Why is she there?" He growled. "I told her to stay at my apartment."

"She could not stay there, man." Kiba said, softly. "Look, I don't know what was written on your door, but it was enough to upset her, and she left to look for you. However, as she was looking for you, she found Sasuke, instead."

Naruto's teeth lengthened as his rage began to run over him. "Did he touch her?" He demanded, his eyes flashing from red to blue.

Neji and Kiba glanced at each other, but shook their heads. "He tried." Kiba said. "But, Sakura told him not to touch her. Naruto, I really think that you need to go to her. She is worried, and scared for you."

The blonde man closed his eyes, and took in several deep breaths. When his eyes finally opened, he moved towards his friends and stopped directly in front of Neji.

"I've never wanted to kill anyone so badly before." He muttered, his eyes slowly turning back to the bright blue that everyone was used to seeing. "He accused me of killing the fourth hokage."

The outraged gasps of the group drew Naruto's head up, and Neji calmly stepped forward. "Listen, you did not kill the fourth hokage. Everyone is well aware of who is responsible for his death. You are the cage that keeps that monster from returning, and people should honor you, not fear you. For Sasuke to bring that up shows that he is getting desperate, and will do anything he can to discredit you. Don't give him any ammunition by losing control. Now, go home to your girl. She needs you and after dealing with Sasuke, I'm sure that you can give her the comfort that she needs."

"She should have broken his arm." Naruto grumbled, but stuffed his hands in his pockets as his friends began to laugh.

Kiba snorted. "If he would have touched her, he'd probably have to learn how to eat with his feet. Sakura would have yanked both of his arms off. Man, her strength really is something to fear." He said, grinning.

As hard as he tried, Naruto could not keep the proud grin from spreading across his lips. Soon, he was laughing and shook his head. "It's not her strength people have to worry about. It's her scary temper that people need to fear. There have been times that I could have sworn that she was possessed. I'm just glad that she has decided to aim it somewhere else besides me."

The group chuckled and Neji patted the blonde on his back. "Go home to Sakura." He said. "We'll make sure that the Uchiha doesn't bother you, anymore."

Naruto's grin faded and he sighed. "You know, I wish I could believe that, but we both know that when Sasuke wants something, he will do anything and everything to get it, and what he wants is Sakura."

"Yeah, and that's why you need to get your ass home and be with her." Kiba said, his tone hard. "Besides, why give the bastard the satisfaction in seeing both you and Sakura worried."

"You're right, Kiba." Naruto said, his tone determined. "I'm going home, and if you need me, just come to our apartment."

Neji, Kiba, and the other members of their group exchanged confused glances. "Our apartment?" Kiba echoed.

Proudly, Naruto nodded. "Yep. Sakura and I are living together, and have decided to live at her apartment, since it has more space than mine. Besides, I doubt that Sasuke will write something upsetting on the door of the woman that he claims to want." He sneered.

Neji shook his head. "I wouldn't put it past him." He murmured, knowing that the Uchiha will stoop to any level to get what he wanted.

Naruto gave him a look, but then shook his head. "Ok, I'm out of here." He said, the earlier tension gone. "Let me know if you need me."

He quickly left the field, but was still bothered by the accusations that Sasuke had stirred up. He knew that he wasn't responsible for the hokage's death, but it still hurt to be associated with it. True, he was housing the monster responsible, but he would never escape the prison that the hokage had built for him, and the beast had resigned himself to helping provide chakra for his host.

It hurt him that there were still some doubts as far as he was concerned. Thankfully, his Sakura held no doubts and loved him unconditionally. In her, he would find his peace, and his salvation.

Sakura jumped up when the door opened and Naruto walked in. Without a word, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his neck.

For a moment, he was stunned at the strength of her embrace, but when her hot tears began to slide down his neck, he knew that things had gone on for too long. His baby was hurting because of the selfishness of another, one that they had considered to be a friend.

"It's ok, Sakura." He murmured, his large hand smoothing down her ruffled hair. "I didn't fight him, and everything will be fine. You'll see."

When she pulled back, Sakura took in a large breath and said, "I went looking for you."

"I know." He said, his blue eyes soft. "Neji and Kiba told me. They also told me that you ran into Sasuke, and that he tried to place his hands on you. Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right!" Sakura snapped, her voice raising. "I'm tired of being targeted by that asshole, when all I want to do is live my life with you, and be happy. He didn't want me when we were kids, and for that, I'm thankful, but now that I have finally found what I've wanted, he wants to destroy it, all for the sake of his large ego."

He searched for the words to sooth her, but standing there, he was helpless to watch her face crumble and she was quickly reduced to sobs, the strain of the day finally catching up to her. Pulling her against him, he did the only think that he could do. He let her cry.

When she finally settled down, she looked up to find him looking at her, and she cringed. "I must seem pretty damn weak right about now." She muttered.

Smiling tenderly, he shook his head and said, "No, I think that you look beautiful. Don't ever be afraid to show me your tears. I'll never look down on you for them. So, if you need to cry, then do it on my shoulder. This is what is going to make us stronger, Sakura. You never have to wonder what I think of you. I think that you are the most wonderful woman I've ever met."

Sakura smiled up at him, as the pads of this thumbs brushed away her remaining tears. She reached up, and gently touched her lips to his. Naruto's arms tightened around her, his body beginning to grow warm as her body moved against his.

When she broke the kiss, she leaned back to look at him, but squeaked when he pulled her back against him. His hands moved down her back and stopped just underneath her bottom. His eyes remained locked with hers, as he slowly lifted her off of the floor.

Sakura's sorrow began to melt away as the feeling of lust began to overtake her senses. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she locked her ankles behind him, as his large hands moved from behind her to run over her front. It was clear to her that he was anxious to renew their love, and she was more than happy to help him.

When it was over, she felt him slowly lowering them to the floor, and he held her against his body, their breaths coming out in harsh pants. When he finally caught his breath, he slowly pulled away, and then grinned.

"Feel better?" He asked, knowing that he sure the hell did. When she smiled back at him, his ego swelled. It was always good for a man to know that his lover was pleased. But, now they were both sticky, and sweaty, and he knew what they both needed.

A nice hot shower.

Grinning at Sakura, he smirked at her squeal when he suddenly lifted her, and stood up. He adjusted her in his arms, and closed his eyes when he felt her lips upon his neck. He opened his eyes and was about to walk to the bathroom, but his eyes drifted over to the sliding glass window, and he realized that the blinds had been left open.

Cringing, he quickly turned and walked to the bathroom. Hopefully, Sakura would not notice that the blinds had been open, or else, she would probably freak out. Still, if anyone had been watching, he hoped that they enjoyed the show. 

* * *

Sasuke glared at Naruto as he carried Sakura out of the living room. It angered him that the asshole had dared to fuck the woman he desired.

"Enjoy the show?" A soft voice asked.

He turned and found Ino standing behind him, her arms crossed over her chest. Moving forward, she came to stand at Sasuke's side and smiled.

"They make a lovely couple, don't they?" She asked, knowing full well what Sasuke thought. "I've never seen her look at a man the way she looks at Naruto and I'm glad that she finally has someone who loves her."

"What do you want, Ino?" Sasuke snapped, his eyes glaring at the young woman beside him. He watched as her smile faded and she turned to face him fully.

"I want you to leave her alone." Ino replied. "If you continue to try and break them up, you will hurt her badly. You claim to care for her, and if that is true, then let her and Naruto enjoy what they have found with each other. You didn't want her, and now that she is the ambassador for our village, you have decided that she is now good enough for you. It isn't fair to her, Sasuke. She loves Naruto, not because she feels guilty, but because he has given to her what she never found with you."

Sasuke allowed his eyes to return to Sakura's living room, and he shook his head. "He'll never be able to give her what she needs." He murmured. "She needs a provider, not a loser with dreams of greatness."

Ino was silent for several moments before she finally asked, "So you refuse to back off?"

Turning, she was shocked to see that his sharingan had been activated and he smirked. "I never give up. Not when I know that something is rightfully mine." He said.

"I was afraid that you were going to say that." She whispered. He watched as the young woman faded into the night and then frowned. Something was not right. Ino would not confront him, only to back off in the end.

Turning, he began to walk across the rooftop, but ducked when he caught sight of something moving towards him from the corner of his eye.

When he stood up, he found himself looking at Lord Akio Masahara. The older man looked calm, and Sasuke had to admit, this man made him nervous. He had done his own research on the man and was alarmed at what he had found.

Lord Masahara was a former ninja, who had fought and defeated a warlord who had tried to destroy his village a few years back. His reputation as being ruthless and cold-hearted was well known and Sasuke knew that to fight this man was to face his own death.

The man stood still, watching Sasuke. At first, Sasuke wondered what he was waiting for, but he decided to try and talk his way out of a confrontation. Damn it. If only he had the skills that Itachi had, then he would have no reason to worry about the smug bastard in front of him.

Akio watched as Sasuke assessed him and knew that he was trying to decide if he was going to attack, or run. A smirk formed on his lips and he decided to force the young man to make a decision.

"What's wrong, boy." Akio said, his tone smooth. "Are you afraid of me? Perhaps you are trying to see a weak point in my defenses with that sharingan of yours. Let me assure you, it would shock me if you were able to find one."

"You are not without a weakness." Sasuke gritted out, his eyes moving over the man rapidly, desperately trying to find a weakness, but as the man indicated, it would be hard to find one.

"Perhaps," Akio murmured. "However, many have tried and many have failed. You will be just the latest in a long line of failures."

Sasuke's lip curled, but he decided that he would be best served by leaving this confrontation. Besides, it wasn't this arrogant lord that he wanted to fight. It was Naruto.

Akio's eyebrow lifted as the young man disappeared in a cloud of smoke. A thin smile formed on his face, and he calmly walked over to where Sasuke had been standing, and looked down into Sakura's apartment. He watched as the young woman appeared, a content smile on her face.

His eyes widened when the blonde man appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body, and he suddenly wished that it was him in the young man's place. However, he would not mourn the loss of Sakura. She was happy, and he was content in his decision to help her achieve happiness with the young man.

Turning, he moved away from the sight, and he allowed a rare smile to form on his lips. Well, he could always go and hunt the young man down. He was in the mood for a good fight. 

* * *

Sakura awoke and looked over to find Naruto asleep, a smile upon his face. She studied his features and had to admit that he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. She reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair that had fallen into his eyes, away.

Naruto grumbled in his sleep, and then turned over, his back facing her. Shaking her head, she quietly slipped out of their bed, and grabbed some clothing, before leaving the room.

She went into the kitchen, after dressing in the guest bathroom, and looked into the refrigerator to find something to make for breakfast. Frowning, she remembered that she had, as of yet, gone grocery shopping.

Her mind made up, she reached out and grabbed her purse, and flung it over her shoulder. She quietly left the apartment, sure that she would be back before Naruto awoke, and when he did wake up, he would be treated to a huge breakfast.

She hummed to herself as she walked to the store, and gave friendly smiles to everyone she passed, and who called out to her. She was nearly at the store, but a large hand grabbed onto her arm and pulled her into an alley.

She yanked her arm away and spun around to find Sasuke looking down at her. His face was void of any emotion, and the look in his eyes made her uneasy.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" She demanded, her patience with the young man nearly at an end. She watched as he looked around and froze when he asked, "Are you so desperate for my attention that you would try and make me jealous with that moron, Naruto?"

She staggered back, as if she had been slapped and stared at the man she once called friend. "What?" She asked, her eyes wide with amazement. "Tell me you are not serious."

"I'm very serious, Sakura." Sasuke murmured, moving closer to her. "I've finally figured out what game you are playing, and I must say, it worked."

Sakura frowned. "What game are you talking about?" She asked. "I'm not playing any kind of games."

Chuckling, Sasuke placed his hand on the wall just above her head and he leaned towards her. "I know that you are just using the dobe to make me jealous. Well, you don't have to keep pretending. I want you, and think that it is past time that we are together." He said, giving her a small smile.

"Oh, really." Sakura said, her mind whirling with his words. Now she had absolute proof. Sasuke was an even bigger nut job than his older brother was.

He watched as she thought about his words and smirked. He finally said the words and now, he could see that she was trying to keep her composure.

She was debating on laughing or slugging him. Both sounded good, though the satisfaction of seeing him with a large, black eye was very tempting. However, she was still trying to stay away from unnecessary violence, and she decided that she would try and talk some sense into the young man.

And, if that didn't work, then let the violence begin.

"I don't know what is going on in that mind of yours, Sasuke, but please understand that I am not interested in you, now or ever. I'm in love with Naruto and don't plan on leaving him." She said, her tone firm. She watched as the smile melted off of his handsome face, and he sighed.

Well, he'd tried it the nice way, but perhaps she just needed a taste of what she was missing. When his eyes met hers, he watched as her eyes widened, and he knew that she had been trapped by the sharingan. Now, all he needed to do was show her who the better man was, and he would use the sharingan to further his point.

Besides, he'd be the only one who knew that he'd used his family's weapon to gain the woman he desired.

He leaned forward, his eyes now focused on her lips and just as he was about to kiss her, his eyes widened as her fist connected with his stomach, sending him flying from the alley and into the street.

When he finally stopped moving, he looked up to find a seriously pissed off Sakura stalking towards him, her face a mask of rage. His eyes widened when he saw her reach into her purse and pull out her gloves. Now he knew that he was in trouble.

The commotion caused the people around them to stop and watch their ambassador approach the young Uchiha, her eyes flaming with murderous intent. She was about to reach out and grab him, but was stopped by a blur.

Sasuke blinked, and watched as Kakashi held Sakura back, while she screamed obscenities at him. He could see that even their former sensei was having trouble subduing the angered female, and he snorted when the man glared over at him.

"What did you do to her, Sasuke?" Kakashi demanded. In all of his years of knowing her, he had never seen Sakura so angry. He could practically feel the hatred rolling off of her and was thankful that none of it was being directed at him. However, he was curious as to why it was being directed towards Sasuke.

Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji had decided to get together for breakfast, and had heard about the fight from a couple of the villagers. Because they were sure that the fight was between Naruto and Sasuke, they casually made their way over to where Sasuke was, and were shocked to find Sakura, instead of Naruto.

"LET ME GO!" Sakura screamed, her face red with anger. "LET ME GO AND I'LL PUT HIM OUT OF MINE AND NARUTO'S MISERY!"

Kakashi began to calmly talk to her, but the young woman would not listen to him. She tried to go around him, but he refused to allow her to pass.

Neji narrowed his eyes at Sasuke and saw that the young man had activated his sharingan. Glancing over at Choji, he whispered, "Go and get Naruto. He and Sakura are living together in her apartment. Get him and bring him here, quickly."

Choji quickly took off, and the three remaining young men cautiously moved towards Sakura and Kakashi. Neji could see angry tears streaming down her face as the older ninja did his best to calm her with his words.

Turning, Neji glared over at Sasuke and when he noticed the man's red eyes, he snapped, "Let me guess, you tried to use your sharingan to get her to turn from Naruto to you."

Kakashi's head snapped around when he heard Neji's question, and sighed. Well, that would explain why Sakura was so upset.

Sasuke stood up and glared at Neji. "That's none of your business, fool." He sneered. He looked over at Sakura, who was clearly far from done with him. Taking a deep breath, he sneered, "It's your loss, bitch. You could have had it all, but you are going to throw it all away for that piece of trash."

Sakura hissed at the dark haired man, and watched as her beloved Tsunade-sensei appeared with Lord Masahara, his companions, and several of the jounin, along with Iruka. Kakashi watched and nodded when Tsunade motioned for him to Sakura go, and slowly, he backed away from her, and watched as she approached Sasuke. This confrontation had been a long time coming.

Furious green eyes glared into angry red eyes, and for several moments, neither of them spoke. Neither noticed that Choji had returned with Naruto, who was currently looking mad enough to kill.

"I can offer you luxury, a large home, and the knowledge that you will never have to worry about anything. Yet, you'd rather live in squalor with that freak. Why, Sakura? Is it your guilty conscience? What in the hell are you thinking?" Sasuke demanded, his tone harsh.

Sakura's posture relaxed as she finally saw Sasuke for who he really was. Oh, she'd known all along that he was a selfish bastard. He'd proved that when he left for Orochimaru's. However, at listening to him, she finally got a glimpse into who the real Sasuke was, and there was nothing attractive about him. In fact, the anger melted away as she finally saw what had been right in front of her all along. She had just been too blind to see it.

"You want to know why I want Naruto" She asked, softly. When the sharp nod came, a soft smile crossed Sakura's lips and she said, "He loves me."

"I can love you." Sasuke gritted out.

Sakura shook her head, and felt a bit sorry for the man before her. "No, you couldn't, Sasuke." She replied. "The only person you love, is you. For a very long time, your focus was on Itachi, and now that he is gone, you find that you no longer have any purpose. You've avenged your clan, but the price you've paid is higher than any cost. Now that your brother is gone, you no longer have a reason to be, and so, you've made me your new focus, thinking that you are 'saving' me from Naruto, when in reality, all you are doing is hurting me and making him angry."

Sasuke snorted. "You don't have any idea of what you're talking about, Sakura." He said, sharply. "Itachi was not my reason for living. Killing Itachi was my goal, and now that I've reached it, I can move on. Now, are you going to move on with me, or not?"

"I have moved on." Sakura said. "I've moved on with Naruto, and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever did anything with you."

Sasuke clenched his fists and took a step towards Sakura, but was quickly blocked by Naruto, whose eyes had turned bright red.

Sakura could hear the growling, and knew that the kyuubi was near the surface. She stepped forward, and placed her hand on his arm, drawing the red eyes to her.

"It's over." She said, stroking his arm in an attempt to sooth him. "Let's go home, Naruto."

The eyes stared at her, and then he slowly brought his face to hers, and took in a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he felt some of the tension in his body melt, but when he sensed Sasuke move, his eyes snapped open and he glared at the man.

"I called you friend." Naruto spat, his tone rough. "I let you close to me, and you betrayed me."

"I don't care." Sasuke replied, as he shrugged.

"We know that you don't care." Sakura interjected, as she moved to Naruto's side. She interlocked her fingers with his and gave Sasuke a saddened smile. "The fact of the matter is, you have never cared. In fact, I seriously doubt that you think that anything you have done has been wrong. As long as you get what you want, you see no reason to hit below the belt just to get your way."

"That may be true, but at least I have things to show for it. What does that loser have?" Sasuke demanded, motioning to Naruto.

Sakura smiled up at the man beside her, their eyes connecting. She watched as the red flashed bright blue for a moment, but then disappeared. She reached up to touch his cheek, and said, "He has me."

Sasuke made a sound in the back of this throat, and was pinned by a vicious glare from Naruto. Red eyes watched as the blonde pulled Sakura close to him and he sighed. "I'm sorry that I've wasted my time."

"Me, too." Sakura said, looking over at him. "I've wasted so much time on you that could have been spent with Naruto. I've learned my lesson, but unfortunately, I don't think that you will ever learn yours."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, impatiently. Damn it, he'd been made a fool of, and now, the bitch had the nerve to humiliate him in public.

Sakura moved to stand in front of Naruto, and immediately felt his arms wrap around her waist. Shaking her head at his possessiveness, she looked at Sasuke and replied, "What I mean is that I seriously doubt that you believe that you have done anything wrong. No amount of punishment will get it through your head that your actions were wrong, and you will probably see yourself as the victim in this situation. You are not, Sasuke. As I see it, it's a waste of time to continue this line of conversation, but you will never get it, Sasuke."

The man before did not answer, nor was he given the time. Tsunade moved forward, and looked at her student.

"Get him home." She ordered, her tone stern. "We can't have him running around with the kyuubi just below the surface, especially with Sasuke around. Get him home and calm him down."

Sakura nodded, and felt Naruto take her hand. As they turned to walk from the large group, Naruto's head turned and those deadly, red eyes stared at Sasuke, before a large grin passed over his lips as he lifted his free hand and flipped the last Uchiha off.

Sasuke took a step forward, intent on going after the couple, but was stopped by Tsunade. The blond glared down at the young man and then said, "I've had it with you. Effectively immediately, you are transferred to Suna, and will be taking Tenten's place."

Tenten gasped in outrage, and was silenced when Tsunade's eyes locked with her own. "Tenten, I am ordering you and Neji into a locked room until the two of you can work this mess out. I will not lose Konoha's weapon's mistress just because her boyfriend is a major ass."

Neji smirked and shot Tenten a smug look, while she glared at him for all she was worth. The Hyuuga prodigy turned his eyes back to the hokage, and gave a bow, indicating that he understood. If he were lucky, he could get Tenten to hold still long enough to let him grovel. He missed her, and needed her by his side.

This time, he would make sure that she knew that she was his new purpose.

Kiba smirked and watched as his girl came towards him, a large smile upon her lips. She, too, had heard the order, and was anxious for her cousin and friend to work things out. She was also glad that Sakura had finally put the Uchiha in his place, though it was a little startling to see Naruto so angry. But, at least the couple was still together, and Sasuke had been made a fool of.

Tsunade turned, and glared at Sasuke, who was glaring at her. "I am the last of the Uchiha." Sasuke spat, angry. "Why should I have to leave Konoha? Why not send the two of them?"

"Because, Sakura is Konoha's ambassador, and Naruto is my successor as hokage." Tsunade snapped, thrilled that the mouthy Uchiha was finally stunned into silence. "One day, Naruto will be the leader of this village, and it won't be because of his blood. It will be because he loves Konoha so much, probably just as much as he loves Sakura, and I can trust that he will protect Konoha just as viciously as he protects the love of his life."

"Naruto's blood?" Sasuke snapped. "He's a street rat, with no breeding, or manners. Have you ever watched him eat ramen? It's disgusting."

Tsunade looked up to the sky, and quietly said a silent apology to her former sensei, the third hokage. He had asked her not to tell, but it was time that all of the secrets were laid open.

"Naruto's father was far more important to this village than all of your ancestors, Obito excluded, were." Tsunade murmured. "His father was the hero that saved Konoha years ago from the nine-tailed fox, who thought to destroy this village. But, because Naruto's father knew that he would not be around to keep it sealed, he decided to use his blood to keep the beast at bay, thus trapping the fox in the body of his newborn son, Naruto."

Sasuke, stunned, stared at the hokage. "You're lying." He whispered, his face pale. He watched as Jiraiya stepped forward, and stand behind Tsunade. "Naruto is the only thing keeping the fox at bay. It's his father's love that had kept the creature in check long enough until Naruto was old, and strong enough to deal with the fox, himself. Naruto is the fourth hokage's greatest legacy. Tsunade is not lying, and now, you have publicly disgraced yourself by attacking the fourth hokage's son, the future hokage, and calling the current hokage a liar. I'd keep my mouth shut, if I were you." He advised.

The villagers whispered among themselves, startled from the information that they had just heard. The young man, who as a boy they had tormented, was their hero's son, and they had basically spit on him. As shame ran through the crowd, Iruka looked around and felt his heart leap.

Finally, Naruto was going to get the respect he deserved. It was about damn time.


	20. The Love That Never Dies

Sakura smiled and looked up at the bright blue sky. She took in a deep breath and said, "To be honest, that day when Sasuke confronted me, in the village square, I finally saw what Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei had been trying to protect me from.

When Naruto took me home, he was so upset that I had been provoked to the point where I resorted to violence, and he apologized that he had failed to protect me. I've never seen him so upset, but on that day, he was nearly in tears, and promised me that he would never allow anyone to hurt me, physically or emotionally.

But, then I got to thinking. If he was going to protect my feelings, then I am going to do the same, after all, when you love someone, then you do everything in your power to take care of them, and Naruto has never really had anyone to care for him. I have finally figured out what real love is, and it is a whole lot better than I imagined.

So, that is what I've been doing, and I'm sorry that I have not been by to see you in such a long time. Imagine my surprise to find that a year since that awful day has gone by, and I never even noticed it. Naruto says that when something makes you happy, time seems to have a way of flying by. I suppose that he is right."

Sakura's eyes moved over the quiet field and she could not help but think of that day when she and Sasuke crossed paths, again.

_She walked through the village square, her basket filled with the goodies that she knew Naruto and his friends would want to during their weekly get-together. She smiled as she anticipated an evening with her own friends, laughing at how stupid their men were acting, as they played poker. None of them were very good losers._

She grinned when she noticed the large fruit cart sitting only a few feet away, and was about to approach it, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke walking towards her, a scowl on his face.

He stopped a few feet away from her, and glared at her, but didn't say a word. Her own eyes took in his appearance, and from the looks of things, Tsunade-sensei had made good on her promise to have him transferred to Suna.

"Well, I hope you are happy." He snapped, finally breaking the silence between them. He could see the ANBU that were following him tensed up, but when they made no move towards him, he turned his eyes back to Sakura.

Sakura's own eyes never left his, and those his were angry, her's were not. "I'm very happy, Sasuke." She replied, her tone even. "I see that you are leaving Konoha."

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and sneered, "It's a shame that Konoha would allow the last of the Uchiha to leave, and let that monstrosity stay. It's pathetic."

Shaking her head, she replied, "You are the only one with that opinion, Sasuke. It is you who are in the minority. The people know Naruto, and they respect him, and not just because of who his father is, either. They know that he is a good man, who loves this village more than his own life. They see his heart, and in the end, that is all that matters."

Sasuke snorted, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I suppose that you think that by me having to stay in Suna, I will one day see the 'error of my ways'. Well, let me tell you this, I know that I am not wrong." He snapped.

Smiling softly, Sakura nodded. "I know that you believe that you are not in the wrong." She murmured. "In your mind, you are correct in all of your actions, and see no reason to change the way you think and behave. Until you learn that even the great Uchiha Sasuke can be wrong, you will always feel victimized by those who think and feel differently than you."

He was about to snap at her, but froze when a large hand fell upon his shoulder.

"Don't you think that it is time to be on your way, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, his tone hard. He had heard every word that his former students had spoken to each other, and he was tired of watching Sakura having to defend herself and Naruto to him.

The younger man glared at him, but was then pushed from behind by one of the masked ANBU. "Let's go." The man said, though his voice was slightly muffled from behind the mask. "The kazekage needs you there as soon as possible."

He would have told the man to 'fuck off' but thought better of it, and then shrugged. He turned and looked at Sakura, once more, but noticed that she and Kakashi were now standing together. He sneered at the pair, and walked past them, his head held high.

Sakura watched her former teammate walk away, and for a moment, she flashed back to that night when he left for Orochimaru's.

"Don't worry about Sasuke." Kakashi said, giving her an eye crinkle. "He will be fine. He just needs to grow up, and start acting like a man. When he is mature enough, then he will be welcomed back."

"He'll never grow up, Kakashi-sensei." She replied, her tone wistful. "He is still the same brooding, little boy that thinks that he has to fight the world. He will always feel as though he has something to prove, and that everyone is out to get him. No, I don't think that Sasuke will ever change, and I doubt that he believes that he has to."

He reached out and ruffled her hair, ignoring her pout as her frantic hands did their best to smooth out the damage he caused.

"Well, he is Suna's problem, now." Kakashi said, shaking his head. "Perhaps they can give him the attitude adjustment that he so richly deserves."

As her eyes cleared and focused once more on the headstone before her, she softly said, "Naruto has made this entire village proud. Shortly after the scene with Sasuke, Tsunade-sensei announced that she had decided on Naruto as her successor. You should have seen his face. I've never seen him so happy. He has followed in his father's footsteps, and has finally proved to the village that he is worthy of their attention.

Everyone was there. Gai and Lee cried and told Naruto that it was his youthful determination and the power of his eternal love for me that made him strong. Everyone simply congratulated him, his friends cheered for him, but I made sure that I was the loudest of them all. I wanted him to know how proud I am of him. I am still the ambassador, and though I love the job, I am finding harder to leave Naruto. So, I have decided that when Naruto takes his place as hokage, I will find a replacement for myself.

You are probably wondering why I would want to give the job up. Well, it's because after Tsunade-sensei's announcement, he proposed to me, right in front of the village. I said yes, of course, and everyone cheered, but in the back of my mind, I suppose the decision to step down had already been made. In a way, I suppose I would feel as if I were abandoning him, and I can't see myself leaving my husband for long periods of time.

Neji said that it was clear that Naruto and I were meant for each other. We were the family that Naruto had always craved, and the devotion I has always dreamed of. He said that not too many people find their soul-mates, but somehow, Naruto and I managed to find ours in each other.

I suppose that he is right. Whenever he and I are alone, in our apartment, it is as if time speeds up, and we lose track of the time pretty easily. Naruto nearly missed a meeting with the hokage and Gaara, the kazekage, but when he explained what happened, he told me that Tsunade-sensei nodded and then said, "I'll excuse it, this time, but until you and Sakura are married, you can't use the 'honeymoon phase' excuse."

Hinata and Kiba finally married. Her father threw a huge fit, but Kiba calmly reminded him that he was no longer in charge of the clan, and could be banned from the ceremony. I suppose being banned from his eldest daughter's wedding shocked some sense into him, because he was on his best behavior.

Kakashi, however, was not. Obito, you should have seen him. He was laughing, dancing, and having a grand time. He also informed everyone that he liked both men and women, and proceeded to hit on Iruka-sensei. Anko was not happy, at all.

Tsunade-sensei followed through on her threat, and locked Neji and Tenten in a room together. I don't know what happened, but when they were finally let out, Tenten looked a lot happier, and Neji was smirking. To this day, no one knows what they said, or did, but whatever it was, I'm glad that it happened, because both are a lot happier.

Things in Konoha are much better, these days. I wish that all of you were here to see it. I suppose that if you were here, then things might be different. But, Naruto and I have decided that just because you are no longer with us, that we will include your memories in our wedding. You are still a part of us, even if you are not here in the flesh.

I told him about our meeting, Obito. I told him everything, and you know what, he believed me. He said that if only Sasuke had taken after you, then perhaps he would have found something worthy, instead of revenge. Maybe he would have found someone he could protect, and cherish like you did with Rin."

Sakura's head fell forward as she thought for a few moments, but quickly snapped up when a soft voice asked, "Are you almost finished, Sakura?"

Looking up, she found Naruto standing over her, clad in the robes that were identical to the ones his father used to wear. Because he was set to take Tsunade's place, she had told him that he'd better start getting used to wearing them, and so, he had decided on wearing the set he found in his father's belongings. He was nearly the exact identical of his father, the only difference being the whiskers on his cheeks.

After the confrontation with Sasuke, the elders presented Naruto with several boxes of his father's belongings, stating that they had been waiting for the day when Naruto's parentage finally came out. As they prowled through the boxes, they were stunned to find several pictures of the fourth hokage, along with a beautiful woman, who was clearly pregnant. It was clear to both Naruto and Sakura that the couple were very much in love, and to see his father's hand resting on his mother's womb, caused Naruto's eyes to tear.

It was that moment that he finally understood that he was loved and wanted. Had his parents lived, he knew that his life would have turned out differently, but he was positive that his love for his Sakura would have been just as strong.

A few days after receiving his father's belongings, an envelope had appeared on their doorstep, and when she had opened it, thinking it was an invitation, she was stunned to find copies of the pictures that Sasuke had ruthlessly destroyed.

She found out later that the man who ran the photo shop in the village, had been a teammate of Naruto's father when he was younger, but an injury had forced him to retire. He knew about Naruto, and had always kept his eye on him, though never approached the boy. When Naruto turned up in his shop, wearing the Konoha symbol around his head, the man had developed the pictures, and had made copies, just in case Naruto ended up losing the originals. As great as he was, the fourth hokage was forever losing things, and the man was sure that his son was no different.

When Naruto saw the pictures, he grinned and shook his head, saying that this village was just full of surprises and had thanked the man personally. Despite Sasuke being in the picture, Naruto was adamant about hanging them on the walls. He was proud of the long road that he had walked, and wanted to remember every single second.

Now, as he stood over her, Sakura watched as his eyes moved over her, making sure that she was not upset or saddened. When she flashed him a bright smile, he grinned.

"I'm finished." She announced, as she stood up. She took his hand and grinned up at him. "I see that Tsunade-sensei ordered you to another meeting."

"I think that the only reason why she keeps calling me is so that I can take her place in the meetings, while she goes and takes a nap." Naruto grumbled, his face twisting into an adorable pout. "Lord Masahara is so boring. How in the hell did you stand him and his 'I'm so much better than everyone' attitude?"

Sakura giggled, and replied, "He rarely spoke to me, except on a few occasions, but when I told him that I could not marry him, he finally admitted that he had gone after me only because Tsunade-sensei asked him to, just to make you jealous. Admit it, it worked."

"Bastard." Naruto muttered, though a grin told her that he was far from angry. "But, if he had been serious, would you have married him?"

Sakura was quiet for a moment, causing him to freeze and stare down at her. When she finally looked up, she smirked and said, "I wouldn't have made it down to the alter and we both know it. You would have found a way to stop it, and convince me not to marry him."

The blonde thought about her words and then nodded enthusiastically. When he heard Sakura's laugh, he grinned and chuckled as he led her out of the field.

"Kiba told me that he thinks that Hinata might be pregnant." Naruto said, as they walked back to their apartment. "Says that she keeps getting sick, and wants to know if you will take a look at her, tonight."

Sakura smiled and nodded. It had become a habit that she and Naruto, Neji and Tenten, Ino and Shikamaru and Kiba and Hinata would all get together and have dinner together, at least once a month. This month, it was going to be at Hinata's house, and would be a perfect place for Sakura to take a look at her.

When they arrived home, Naruto groaned when he saw that a messenger was standing at the door, waiting patiently on him. He held his hand out, already knowing that Tsunade had told the messenger to bring the scroll to him so that he could deal with it.

The messenger quickly handed him the scroll, bowed, and then left, leaving the ambassador and future hokage alone. He opened the scroll, and after reading it, he began to laugh.

When he caught his breath, he handed the scroll to Sakura and said, "Apparently, baa-chan is tired of waiting for us to set a date for our wedding. She's probably only doing this because she knows that she can drink to her heart's content."

Sakura giggled. It figured that Tsunade-sensei would do something like this. After all, she was the one who kept after the both of them to hurry up and marry, and it seemed that the rest of the village was tired of waiting, as well.

When he opened the door, he waited until she was inside and then entered, and locked the door behind him. He followed Sakura into their bedroom and watched as she sat down at her vanity. As she let her hair down, he smiled and softly said, "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Her eyes met his in the mirror, and she nodded. "Of course I do. You tell me everyday, and personally, I like hearing it." She replied, and blew him a kiss as if to prove her statement.

He walked up behind her, and took the brush from her hand and began to pull it through her long hair. He was glad that she decided to grow it out. It made her look softer, and it drove him wild when it would fan out over the bed when they made love.

For several minutes, they were silent, and then he quietly asked, "You miss him, don't you?"

Biting her lip, she slowly nodded. "Every day." She affirmed, as tears formed in her eyes. "I just can't understand why I didn't see it. I wish he would have just told me that he was sick. I could have helped him."

"Honey, you did." Naruto soothed. He put the brush down and knelt beside her, turning her face so that she could look into his eyes. "You gave him the family that had been taken from him. Your father was the closest thing to a son that he had, and you became a daughter to him. He didn't tell you because he knew that you would refuse to let him go without a fight. He didn't want you worrying over him, and he died the way he wanted."

He looked at the pictures of the man who had taken Sakura underneath his wing and trained her. For the first time in a very long time, Sakura had a father-figure in her life, and now, like her real father, he was gone.

Akumitsa was very sick, though he didn't tell Sakura, nor did he seek treatment. Instead, he trained her harder, making sure that she could protect herself. He watched her bloom into the woman she was now, and when she was at the height of her happiness, he demanded one more training with her, and when she was getting ready to leave for the night, he had stopped her and quietly told her goodbye.

Sakura, not realizing that anything was wrong, and anxious to get home to him, smiled at him and gave him a kiss on his cheek before saying good night to him, and running off.

It was very early in the morning that Kakashi came to their home. He remembered that day well.

_"I need to talk to Sakura, Naruto." Kakashi said, his voice quiet. "She needs to know."_

"Needs to know, what?" Sakura asked, yawning. She padded out into the living room and smiled when she saw Kakashi. "Want some coffee?"

Kakashi moved forward and gently took her upper arm in his hand. He led her over to the couch and sat her down, then knelt before her, and took her hands in his.

"Sakura, last night, Nachito Akumitsa died in his sleep. His body couldn't fight the sickness, anymore." He said, his tone soft.

Sakura blinked and then took in a deep breath. "What are you talking about, Kakashi?" She asked, her voice wavering. "I don't think that this is very funny. If this is a joke, it's cruel."

Pulling her down into his arms, Kakashi slowly rocked her, while he knelt beside her. "I'm sorry, Sakura." He murmured, his fingers running through her hair. "I'm so sorry."

Sakura cried harder than either men had ever seen her, even harder than the day she walked to Konoha's gates and cried for him to bring Sasuke back to the village. It got so bad that he had to go and get baa-chan to sedate Sakura, just to get her to calm down.

His funeral was held a few days later, and his name was added to the long list of ninja that were gone, but not forgotten. He held Sakura tightly in his arms, as baa-chan recounted all of the honors that the elder ninja had received, and it was a huge shock to learn that the man was responsible for many of the rules that governed the ninja of Konoha.

When it was Sakura's turn to speak, he released her and watched as she walked up to the pedestal. Everyone was in attendance, even valley's elder, Gaara and his siblings, and Lord Masahara and his companions. She took in a deep breath and then gave a shaky smile.

"I had a speech prepared, to read to all of you, but I've changed my mind." She said, as she addressed the large crowd.

"Instead, I'd like to talk about second chances and about how important it is to forgive rather than hold a grudge. Akumitsa-Sensei used to tell me not to use a bandage for my heart, and that the only thing that heals those types of wounds is time. But, he was wrong. The pain of losing a loved one never goes away. It dulls after time, but it never leaves.

He took an angry girl, a girl who thought that she had something to prove, and he became the person that I had needed for a very long time. My father was his student, and when my father died, Akumitsa-sensei lost a part of himself. When I came along, he accepted me, and began healing the part inside of me that I had thought died with my mother and father, but at the same time, he was healing something inside of him.

Senseis, the good ones, will grow attached to their students. They have the pleasure of watching those students grow, flourish, and then walk away. So, when one of their students die, it is a painful blow. I know that Akumitsa-sensei hurt deeply when my father died, and perhaps he blamed himself for not teaching him enough, or not preparing him better, but I believe that through me, he found redemption, and that gave him the peace to move on.

Fate gave me a second chance. Life forgave me all of my sins, and allowed me to shine, even though, at first, I didn't have much to work with.

I realized, while in his care, that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what. No one deserves to walk alone in life, and when we find someone who makes a difference in our lives, we need to hold onto them for dear life and tell them just how much they mean to us.

When someone wrongs us, the obvious thing to do is hold onto the anger, but if we look beyond the layers and see the person beneath, and see their pain, it becomes easier to forgive. We need not forget, but to forgive, and let go of the anger, we become better than those who would stand against us.

Akumitsa-sensei will always be in my heart. Not only as a sensei, but as the father than I had desperately needed. He will never be forgotten, just as those who have passed before him will never be forgotten.

Let us forgive those who have trespassed against us, and start out on the road that Akumitsa-sensei and the ninja who created Konoha dreamed of. Let today be the beginning of a new Konoha, and let us rise with our brothers to greater heights.

Before I step down, I want to say one more thing. If you have lost someone precious, know that when you think of them, or go to the memorials and talk to them, know that they hear you and continue to love you just as much as you love them. Love doesn't die with the body. Love is eternal, and can never be taken away."

As she stepped down, he held out his hand to her, and watched as she smiled as her hand settled on his. He could understand every single word that she spoke. Despite being so angry with her in the beginning, his love for her only grew. Never once did it waver, and he was glad that he had finally taken the steps to move forward.

Now, as they sat in the quiet bedroom, he noticed the time and softly said, "Hey, beautiful. It's time to get ready for dinner at Hinata's."

Sakura's eyes lit up, and when he brushed away her tears, she smiled and hugged him before leaping up, knocking him on his backside, and rushing to the closet for something to wear.

He smiled indulgently before picking himself up and following her. Soon, they were on their way, and were soon at their friend's home.

Akamaru barked happily as they came through the door, and they could hear Ino and Shikamaru arguing about how lazy he was, as Tenten hissed at Neji to quit touching her.

When they were all settled, Naruto calmly stood up and called for everyone's attention. When he had it, he smirked.

"Well, it seems that baa-chan is eager to gave a party, so she has decided that we will be getting married a month from now." He announced, his blue eyes twinkling. "Everyone is invited."

Neji and Kiba slapped him on the back, while the women began to giggle and talk about which type of wedding dress she should wear. As the evening wore on, and the men pulled out their cards, Sakura leaned over to Hinata and whispered, "I want to have a look at you. You don't seem to be yourself, and I just want to make sure it isn't anything to worry about."

Hinata nodded and stood up. She led Sakura to hers and Kiba's room and quietly shut the door. She watched patiently as Sakura examined her and when told to sit, she sat upon their bed, and waited for Sakura's report.

"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised." Sakura said, grinning. When Hinata's confused eyes met hers, Sakura reached over and patted her hand. "In about seven months, you will feel much better, though you might feel sleep deprived, but that is why Kiba is here."

Hinata blinked, and softly asked, "I'm pregnant?"

"About two months along, and from what I can tell, the fetus is healthy. In a month, the morning sickness, and tiredness should disappear, but it might not. Pregnancy is different for every woman." Sakura replied, smiling.

Hinata's hands went to her stomach, and before Sakura could say anything else, Hinata was up and out of the bedroom, rushing down the stairs, and to her husband's side.

Kiba as staring intently at his cards, doing his best poker face, when he was suddenly attacked by his wife, who threw her arms around him, laughing.

"Babe!" He whined, "I'm trying to concentrate here."

Hinata shook her head and whispered, "We're going to have a baby, Kiba."

The dog ninja's eyes grew wide and suddenly, Hinata was being whirled around, his laughter joining with her. As Sakura walked into the room, Naruto asked, "Well, is she or isn't she? We couldn't hear what she said."

Sakura nodded and grinned. Naruto looked at the others and nodded, causing everyone to stand and congratulate the new couple. After they had settled down, the women were now going between wedding preparations and baby showers, while the men chatted.

Soon, it was time to leave and once the door closed behind them, Naruto wrapped his arm around Sakura's shoulders and murmured, "Tonight was a lot of fun."

"Yes, it was." Sakura agreed. "But, I can't help but wonder how people are going to react when we decide to have our own children."

Naruto snickered and said, "They'll probably be praying for mercy. My attitude with your strength. Our kids are going to be a handful."

Sakura giggled. It was just what the village needed. Another Naruto, except with her strength to go along with the mischief.

They fell silent for a few minutes, but then Naruto quietly asked, "Are you sure that you want our wedding there? Baa-chan said that we could have it any where we wanted."

"I'm sure." Sakura said, her eyes turning to meet his. "I think that it would be the perfect place."

He nodded. Whatever made his Sakura happy.

"I've got an idea." He said, his tone serious. When Sakura stopped and looked up at him, he leaned down and whispered, "How about we start practicing for our honeymoon. After all, you know that I am always needing to practice, and I want to make sure that our special night goes off without a hitch."

Sakura's eyebrow lifted and she nodded solemnly. "I think that is a good idea. You need all the practice you can get."

Naruto's handsome face twisted into a large grin, and he quickly picked her up and began to hurry for their home.

Life, as he knew it, was about to change, again. 

* * *

_Theme for this chapter is_

The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded... Never forget them.--Yuna in Final Fantasy X


	21. Epilogue

A/N: Well, this is it. Thanks for all of the reviews. I have loved writing this fic, and want to thank everyone who has supported it.

Please have a safe and happy New Year.

Kogasangel/Lady Kogawolf

* * *

She sat at the vanity and sighed as she stared at her reflection. Today was the day that her life would be forever changed. Today, she would become Naruto's wife.

As the minutes ticked by, she thought of all that had happened to her, and how the words of one individual could inspire such change in so many people.

She was no longer the angry, young woman, who was out to prove herself to her male counterparts. Instead, she was a happy woman, who looked forward to the rest of her life with the man who had loved her for a very long time.

Naruto had also changed. Sure, he was still that loud, obnoxious ninja, but there was a side of him, the side that proved he was more than just an over-grown kid. He had grown into a man, who had finally stepped out of the shadows of his blood, and managed to surpass everyone's, including her's, expectations. Now, he was being groomed to take over the position that his father once held, and she knew that he would be an even greater hokage than his father.

Kakashi-sensei was no longer the brooding sensei. Yes, he was still a major pervert, always reading those books of his in public, but he was more open with those he considered friends, and he didn't hesitate to recount the memories of his past with his former teammates. She supposed that it was his way of moving forward, and learning to live without guilt and regret.

Tsunade-sensei had made sure that no matter what, Naruto was the one who would take her place. She would not hear about anyone else, and even though the counsel didn't even have another candidate in mind. It seemed that they, too, had chosen Naruto as their new leader. And so, Tsunade-sensei announced, in front of the entire village, that after the wedding, Naruto would rise to the position of hokage, while she happily went into retirement. Of course, she warned Naruto not to pull the same stunt that his father did, and cause her to leave her retirement, because if he did, she promised him that she would make damn sure that they found each other in the next life, and she'd pound the life out of him.

Tenten and Neji finally settled into a relationship, though it had taken Tenten a few weeks to believe a word Neji said to her. However, he finally declared to the Hyuuga clan that he intended on making Tenten his wife, and Hinata didn't hesitate to give him her blessing. However, both decided to take it slowly, and Neji decided that he would start by properly courting Tenten. But, he revealed to Naruto that because he refused to engage in more intimate relations with Tenten, at least until she grew more comfortable, he and his hand had grown quite friendly with each other.

Kiba and Hinata had spread the word that they were now expecting their first child, and Hiashi had quickly jumped into the 'expecting grandparent' mode. No one would ever suspect that he had opposed the union between Kiba and Hinata from the way he was carrying on about all that he wanted to teach the baby. Hanabi had decided to follow in her sister's footsteps and joined the academy. It was just by chance that she ended up getting Neji's former sensei, Gai, and she had moaned and groaned about having to wear that hideous jumpsuit. Thankfully, Neji had stepped in, on her behalf, and convinced Gai to allow Hanabi to wear her regular clothing.

Lee and the village girl had dated for several weeks, but he ended it when he realized that no matter what he did, the young lady seemed quite uncomfortable with his job as a ninja. To be a ninja was his dream, and he could not give it up, and so, he had gently told her that he thought that it was for the best that they parted ways. However, when the elder from valley arrived, along with his escort, Lee was introduced to a female ninja, who held the same affection for green that he had, and they were inseparable for the remainder of valley's visit. Because she was still the ambassador, she would often have to travel to valley, accompanied by Naruto and Lee. Of course, Lee only went to be with the female ninja, but he was also great to have around on the boring walk to and from valley.

Ino and Shikamaru had decided to inform their friends that while away on a mission to a neighboring village, they had decided to marry. Of course, Ino had prettied the story up, but Shikamaru told her and Naruto that Ino had basically threated to beat the ever-loving shit out of him if he didn't make some kind of commitment to her, and so, he decided that marrying her was better than hearing her screech. Besides, she couldn't be any worse than his mom, and he wasn't interested in looking around for anyone else, so either way, it worked out for him.

Choji decided that it was time for him to find someone for himself. However, it came as a shock that when Gaara and his siblings were in Konoha, that he ended up hanging out with Temari. Even though she was older, the kunoichi had taken a great interest in the hefty ninja, and had offered to make him dinner. When he got a taste of her culinary skills, Choji knew that he was hooked, and they had been together ever since.

Gaara was constantly with her and Naruto, whenever he visited Konoha. He and Naruto had forged a strong friendship and both were determined to show a united front, even to their allies. The young kazekage still requested some of her time, just so that they could talk, and she found that she rather enjoyed his company. Naruto, surprisingly, had encouraged them to spend some time together. He said that Gaara was now learning to associate with others and considered them to be in his tiny inner group of people he trusted, and he wanted to foster Gaara's new found ability to converse with others.

Of course, the kazekage was still someone to be feared, as Sasuke quickly found out. After reaching Suna, Sasuke was immediately given quarters, and then told what his duties were to be. Until he earned the privilege of being given higher ranking missions, he would have to handle the low ranking ones. At first, Sasuke had argued and spat objections, but they fell on deaf ears. He was placed on another team, and despite a rocky beginning, he was finally working with his new teammates.

But, she had learned through Gaara, that Sasuke still felt as though he had been the victim in the events that happened in Konoha. He still didn't get why he had been ordered to leave, while Naruto, who housed a killer, was allowed to stay. It saddened her to hear that despite everything, he just couldn't get past his own vanity, and she finally realized that any hope she had of him one day returning, and rejoining them, was long gone.

Lord Masahara had sent word to her that he looked forward to her upcoming wedding, and promised to be there, along with his companions. She couldn't help but grin when she told Naruto that she had invited him, and watched as Naruto's face pinched up, just the way it had when they were younger. He moaned and groaned, but finally relented when she snuggled up to him and reminded him that she was marrying him, not the lord.

Kankuro had made the huge mistake of getting drunk one night, and hitting on Anko. When he awoke the next morning, he found himself tied to her bed, naked, with the snake-wielding woman lying beside him, also naked. At first, he thought that when she woke up, she'd untie him and they'd go their separate ways, but when she did wake up, she jumped on him, and he didn't leave her bed until it was almost dark. Now, he refuses to drink whenever he is in Konoha, and whenever Anko looks at him, he pales and does his best to not show any kind of fear, though the trembling gives him away, every time.

Iruka had decided that he was simply not into women, mainly because he simply could not be comfortable around females, and to his delight, Kakashi found that the younger man had been looking at him, ever since Kiba and Hinata's wedding. So, they decided to take chance and were loving every single minute that they shared together.

Her lips curled into a gentle smile as her eyes turned to the pictures that hung on her wall. Oh, how she would have loved Akumitsa-sensei to be the one to walk her down the isle. His death still hurt her, though it was getting easier to deal with day-by-day.

The picture of her parents hung next to her beloved sensei's and she could not help but notice just how happy her family had been, even if she had been a pain in the ass when she had turned into a teenager.

The picture of Kakashi-sensei and his team brought a grin to her face, and she could not help but wonder why Rin had overlooked Obito. Even as a kid, he had the Uchiha good looks. Kakashi-sensei had once said that despite having the Uchiha name, Obito marched to a different drum. He wasn't like the other Uchihas, and for that, she was grateful.

"Sakura?"

Turning, she found Kakashi-sensei standing at the door, his eye trained on her. "Are you ready?" He asked.

She looked the man up and down and nodded. It amazed her that he could look so good in his ANBU uniform. When he noticed her looking him over, he winked and watched as she jumped slightly, blushed, and gave off a soft laugh. Stepping forward, she allowed him to take her arm and wrap it around his. He led her down the stairs and together, they began to walk to the field where Naruto was waiting for her.

"I'm surprised that you chose the memorial as the place to hold your wedding." Kakashi murmured, his dark eye turning towards her. "You could have picked anywhere you wanted, but you chose there. Why?"

Sakura was quiet for a few moments, but then said, "Because, I wanted everyone who loved me to be there, to witness the start of a beautiful life with Naruto. Just because some of those people are gone, doesn't mean that they won't be watching. I said it before, when someone dies, and the people who matter to them come and talk to them at their graves, they can hear, and just because they can't reply, doesn't mean that they don't feel the same way."

Kakashi nodded his head, and then quietly said, "I never thanked you for what you said to me that night out on the street. I was so angry with you at the time, but after thinking about your words, I began to realize that it wasn't you that I was angry with. It was me."

Sakura's green eyes turned and he nodded. "Yep," He affirmed. "You heard me correctly. I was angry at myself for holding onto the past. I've lived with my regrets and guilt for many years, Sakura, and to just let go was the hardest thing I think that I've done in a long time."

"You know, Obito love you." Sakura said, smiling. "If he didn't, then he would never have entrusted Rin to you. He knows that you did the best you could, and never held a grudge against you. I'm glad that the grudge you've held is finally over."

The man looked down on his former student, and then gave her one of his famous eye-crinkles. They made their way to where Sakura's bridesmaids were standing and blushed when Ino snapped, "Finally. Let's get the show on the road."

Hinata rolled her eyes at Sakura, but then grinned and gave her a hug. "Just remember," Hinata whispered, "We are all behind you and Naruto."

Ino quickly pulled the two girls apart, and said, "It's showtime, girls."

One by one, the kunoichi that were the closest to Sakura, made their way down the isle, and moved to their spots. When it was time for Kakashi to walk her down the isle, he whispered, "This is it. Are you ready?"

Sakura's mind flashed with memories of all that had happened to her in the past months, and she smiled. When he saw her nod, he took in a deep breath, and began to lead her down the isle, towards Naruto, who was wearing the robes that he would wear as hokage, and a huge smile.

His eyes followed her, as she and their former sensei made their way towards them. He could not help staring at her. She was wearing a dress that Hinata had commissioned for her as a present, and it fit her like a second skin. The straps were thin enough to show off her beautiful shoulders, while the skirt was just the right length to tease him with glimpses of her long legs. Her beautiful face was lightly dusted with enough makeup to enhance her eyes, and bring out the pink in her lips. Her hair had been twisted up into a delicate ensemble of curls that ran down her back.

He ached to touch her, and had to bite his tongue to prevent him from snapping at Kakashi to hurry up. Kiba, his best man, had probably sensed his urgency, and softly whispered, "Calm down, Uzumaki. She'll get here when she gets here."

When they stopped before Tsunade, she smiled and motioned for the guests to sit down. Her honey-colored eyes turned to Kakashi.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" She asked, and smiled when Kakashi said, "Hatake Kakashi, along with Nachito Akumitsa, her senseis, and the Harunos, her parents."

Nodding, Tsunade watched as Kakashi turned and shook Naruto's hand, before placing Sakura's hand into the future hokage's. He moved away and sat down next to Iruka, and together, they watched as their former students became one.

Tsunade gave a brief speech, mainly about how important commitment and love were, and then quietly said, "Naruto and Sakura have both decided to forgo the usual wedding proclamations. They have, instead, written their own. Naruto, please turn to Sakura and say what you will."

The blonde turned and smiled down at her. His eyes searched hers and after he cleared his throat, he said, "After all this time, you still make me feel like that twelve year old boy, who doesn't know what to say to you. I have watched you as the years have gone by, and each year, you grow more beautiful than the year before. I never thought that I would be the one standing here with you, but now that I am, I have to wonder if this is a dream, because if it is, don't ever wake me.

We've been through some pretty hard times, and I think that we are stronger, and more stable having experienced the hard times. Sakura, I promise you that I will never give you reason to leave me. I will never put your through heartache, or allow you to be heartbroken. I will be your strength, just as together, we will be Konoha's strength, and I will love you until the day I day, and probably afterward.

I pledge to you, Uzumaki Sakura, that I love you, and want you as my wife. I ask that you take my ring, and wear it, knowing that you are the most important person in my life."

Sakura watched as he slipped a small ring on her finger, and she smiled up at him through a curtain of tears. His smile faded as he leaned forward, but was stopped by Tsunade.

"Hold on for a few more minutes, Romeo." Tsunade murmured. "Sakura, say what you will to Naruto."

She took a deep breath, and said, "When we were kids, I looked at another because I had this idea of what love should be, and who would be the perfect person for me. I couldn't have been more wrong, on both counts.

Love is forgiving. Love is honesty. Love is being there when no one else will stand with you. Love is protecting the one that your heart calls for, no matter the outcome.

You, Uzumaki Naruto, have done all of that and more for me. You've been by my side when my heart broke for the first time. You were the one who promised me at the gates of Konoha to bring back a teammate, and ended up being hurt by that same teammate. You've risked your life for me, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all that you've done, nor can I explain just how deeply my love for you runs.

I promise you, Naruto, that I will love you, for the rest of my life. I promise to give you the same love that you have freely given to me for all of these years, and I will never let anyone come between us. I promise to never leave you, no matter what.

"I pledge to you, Uzumaki Naruto, that I love you and want you for my husband. I ask that you take my ring and wear it, knowing that you are the most important person in my life."

She slipped the large band over his finger and smiled. She knew that she would never take off this symbol of the love that they had for each other, and she knew that he felt the same.

Tsunade smiled as she watched the young man, who had been nothing more than a loud-mouthed brat when she first met him, and the young woman, who had been nothing more than a weak little girl, smile at each other, both basking in the knowledge that they were with the one they loved, and were not afraid to show that love in front of other people.

Her mind turned to her own love, Dan, for a moment, before she shook her head and looked out at the guests.

"Naruto and Sakura have both pledged their love to one another. Is there anyone who would object to this union?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in silent challenge.

Gaara allowed a smug smile to cross his face. The one who would have objected was back in Suna, cleaning bathrooms at the academy.

When no one objected, Tsunade smiled and said, "Naruto and Sakura, in front of your friends, and family, you have pledged your love to each other. As hokage of Konoha, I pronounce you man and wife. Ok, Naruto, you can quit glaring at me to hurry up. You may kiss her, now."

Naruto's narrowed eyes quickly darted to Sakura, and she quickly found herself in his arms, being kissed within an inch of her life.

The cheers and whistles were so loud that Tsunade gave up trying to introduce the new couple. She shook her head and stepped back, content to watch the two she considered as part of her own family bask in their obvious love.

He pulled back from Sakura and gave her a wink. "Are you ready, Sakura?" He asked, his blue eyes twinkling. "It's time we show this village how the Uzumaki's have a good time."

Laughing, she nodded and allowed him to lead her down the isle, laughing as their friends quickly followed them back to the Hyuuga compound, where their reception would be held.

As they ran, Sakura smiled and closed her eyes. 'Obito, do you see what you have done?' She thought. 'With one act of kindness, you have changed my life in so many different ways. Thank you for being my soul's salvation.' 

* * *

As the wedding party disappeared from the field, a small group stood by the headstones, watching with indulgent smiles upon their faces.

"It was a beautiful ceremony." A young woman said, her honey-colored eyes turning up to her companions.

A gruff snort was heard and the older man said, "It's about damn time. I was wondering if they were ever going to tie the knot."

A man and woman smiled over at the older man and the woman dreamily said, "I wonder what their children are going to look like. I bet they are going to be beautiful."

"Of course they are going to be beautiful." The younger woman said, shaking her head. "Don't you agree, Obito?"

Uchiha Obito did not reply. He had heard Sakura's words, as she and her new husband ran off the field. For the second time in his existence, he had made a difference. The first time being when he saved his teammates from death, and the second by helping Sakura. He couldn't help the satisfied smirk that crossed his lips.

Rin shook her head and said, "Ok, I know that look. You're gloating. So, what has you so happy?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied, his arm snaking over his eternal love's shoulders as he pulled her closer. "I think that we will be seeing more of those two. And, I'm pretty sure that we'll get all of the details about what went on at the reception from Kakashi, when he comes to visit us, tomorrow."

A tall, blonde man stood with another elderly man. "He will make a great hokage, husband, and father." He murmured, his blue eyes turning to look down at the man.

"Indeed, he is following in your footsteps." The third hokage murmured. "Naruto has finally found what he had been searching for when he was a child. He has found the love, and respect of those around him, and now, he will take his rightful place beside us on the monument. It is a proud day for the hokages."

"And, a proud day for us." The woman with long, pink hair said. "In my wildest dreams, I never imagined Sakura would come this far. I am so proud of her."

The group smiled at each other, and as the sun began to dip down into the horizon, they faded into the night, content that their loved ones were cared for, and were safe.

Before he disappeared completely, Uchiha Obito turned to look at the large house, where he knew that a certain kunoichi was and whispered, "You are welcome, Sakura."


End file.
